


Gate to Vannas

by Akinasky



Series: Gate to Vannas [1]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Magic, Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Original Character(s), Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2015-10-09
Packaged: 2018-02-05 23:03:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 27
Words: 114,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1835461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akinasky/pseuds/Akinasky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What would happen if instead of a note from the future during the episode 2010, SG-1 was thrown through time into a distant future? What if it was a world of magic and the team had to learn how to survive in this new world with new baddies and strange allies as well.<br/>This is a SLASH story, Daniel/Jack<br/>Background Sam/Teal'c</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wrong Gate Address

**Author's Note:**

> SG1 (Carter, Teal’c, Daniel and Jack) and any reference to Stargate do not belong to me but in the world they are thrown into does indeed belong to me and I ask that you not use those characters or places as this takes place in a world that I hope to publish some day soon. Thanks!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SG-1 awake to find themselves looking at a decommissioned Gate instead of the world they were supposed to go to. They find the truth to be unbelievable and terrifying. They meet some of the indigenous people and wonder if they can be trusted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea if I have in re-readers for this series (I sincerely hope so just because I love to re-read my favorite stories but even for you first readers out there. This story is getting a massive overhaul, not to change a lot of what happened but to give some of the arcs in the story some more depth I am really loving how it has created a wealth more of story in just the first couple chapters so I hope that everyone enjoys and if not then at least I am enjoying the process. 
> 
> My awesome Beta Reader is not on this site but a shout out for him: My fiance: his FF.net username is Alaskafrog and that man is willing to read a slash fic because he loves me and he's been amazingly helpful and loving.
> 
> Updated 9/28/2015

It was just another day, walking up to the Gate in the embarkation room for SG-1. Daniel checked his gun holster and his hat before he looked over to Jack who was checking his gear as well, futzing around with his gun that could be considered playing at some point but then they were waiting on Sam again. Teal’c was gripping his staff weapon and Sam was up in the overlook talking to Harriman.

“Come on Carter, we got some other world to look at and we are already late!” Jack called out and the scientist waved and headed out the door and came downstairs.

Daniel grinned as he looked everywhere but at his commanding officer, just enjoying Jack’s tone of voice. It had started a long time ago in a small closet deep inside the Cheyenne Mountain where Jack held Daniel close when he was coming down off of the sarcophagus withdrawals. The ever deepening friendship had blossomed into something different after that. He’d taken a long time to honor the feelings and accept them for what they were but only moments to understand it would remain an unrequited secret from Jack. He stopped sharing overly long looks with his ‘commanding officer’ and team leader to protect them both from ramifications caused by his feeling because Daniel understood beyond a shadow of doubt that the destruction of Jack’s career would be so much worse than anything they could ever do to Daniel. So he cherished the friendship they shared and attempted to not dwell on his feelings for too long, for his sanity and both of their safety. But he did enjoy being around Jack all the same.

This was going to be a good trip; they had a promising first contact with a new people called the Eshen who were willing to talk about sharing the technology they had. Jack was basically rubbing his hands together in glee over the possibility and he was checking his watch again when Sam rushed through the side door and they all turned towards the ramp as the Gate had been dialed, open and waiting for the last five minutes or so. Daniel slipped his hat on his head and started walking as well, slightly behind Jack so he could watch the other man’s butt move as he walked.

Then they were slipping through the gate and there was nothing for a second as they moved through space, then just as the second passed Daniel felt something change and the acceleration of movement changed drastically and he was thrust through the air on the other side where he got a flash of darkness then he slammed into the ground. Daniel couldn’t be sure of anything for an indeterminate amount of time, but when he woke from the crash he took in a great heaving breath and sucked in some dirt along with it, causing him to cough for a few seconds before he started to feel around in the dark. His glasses were askew but still attached to one of his ears, he straightened them with a quick hand then he tried to straighten out his twisted body and quickly unlatched his pack, letting it slip away as the archeologist rolled to his knees so he could stand. He kept his hand on his pack, thinking if they were lost on the other side of a decommissioned Gate then what they had in their packs would be essential and Jack’s training had taught him, not to mention foster care and digs out in the middle of nowhere taught him not to let go of his things.

He took another deep breath and spoke into the dim interior of where ever they were at the moment He coughed as more dust found its way into his mouth and called out, “Jack, Sam, Teal’c, is everyone alive?”

Groans erupted in the silent stillness of the dark and Daniel startled when he realized how close they all sounded. He started squinting into the darkness, hoping his eyes would adjust when he groaned and gave himself a metaphorical bop in the head for forgetting that there was a flashlight stuck to his vest. He twisted the light into the on position and sudden light burst across the interior of a cave, if the sloping stone was any indication. He blinked at the pain the sudden light cause and allowed a moment for his eyes to adjust once more and searched the room quickly. His eyes glanced off of Sam and Teal’c, the Jaffa was helping Sam to her feet so Daniel searched for Jack who was still on the ground, his chest moving in labored breaths but he clearly wasn’t conscious yet off to Daniel’s right. He moved quickly to his commanding officer, his dear friend, dragging his bag along behind him.

He pressed a gentle hand to Jack’s chest and the older man’s eyes fluttered at the contact then those dark chocolate brown eyes were focusing on Daniel and he felt the jump in his heart rated and the flush settle in his cheeks at those eyes. He shook off the feelings mentally and started to help Jack sit up with a hand clasping Jack’s palm and the other at the back of the Colonel’s shoulder in a friendly and helpful location, not along the back of his neck like Daniel really wanted. “Are you okay, Jack?”

“Daniel?” the Colonel mumbled, “What happened?”

“We were jettisoned out of the gate which is never a good thing. This also isn’t the location that the MALP sent to us from before we walked through. That never ends in rainbows and puppies.”

“The last time we were in the dark like this was when we were sent to Antarctica,” Sam added into the deafening silence and Daniel pointed his light over towards Sam’s voice where she was fumbling with her pack as she stood up and started looking around.

Jack groaned undoubtedly thinking back to when he and Sam were stuck in the freezing landscape of the arctic, “Thanks for the reminder Major!”

“Sorry sir, of course we wouldn’t end up back there anyway since the second gate isn’t in Antarctica and we would have definitely noticed a freezing temperature by now. Though this is a cave, it doesn’t seem to be a damp smelling as I would have suspected.”

Daniel grinned at Sam’s cattiness though he did find her comment about the dampness was a good point. They’d been in a lot of caves of the last couple years and he’d been in even more when he was on various digs and it was almost temperature controlled in here in Daniel’s semi experienced senses and mind.

Jack motioned suddenly to get Daniel’s attention and the scientist quickly helped Jack to his feet, getting a little thrill from being allowed to touch the Colonel. There was never a good excuse for Daniel to touch Jack, so he enjoyed the momentary contact with a jump in his heart rhythm that Daniel knew wasn’t going to calm again until he stopped touching Jack. Jack on the other hand never seemed to have enough reasons to touch Daniel, sure he also gave Teal’c a nice slap on the shoulder every once in a while but he would constantly place his hand on Daniel’s shoulder when they were in his office and Jack was looking over his shoulder. Other times Jack would sling his arm over Daniel’s shoulder and Daniel would keep reminding himself it was just Jack being friendly.

So he released Jack’s hand quickly, wiped away some imaginary dust so his hand could stay in contact just a little longer then he was taking a step back and started looking around again. Daniel had never been so straight that he didn’t notice that Jack was attractive the first time he saw him, Daniel had done more than a little fooling around with boys as well as girls when he was younger but when he stayed with Sha’re it was because he cared for her and honestly there had been nothing on earth he wanted, not until Colonel Jack O’Neill came waltzing back through the Abydos gate a year later. Daniel had used more time than he should have to learn about the cartouche to hide the tiny kernel of lust for the straight military leader from Sha’re and then his need to show off for Jack led to her being taken because she’d been alone without any real defense against Apophis or his Jaffa. It was a hard lump of guilt for him to swallow even after his dearly departed spouse absolved him of the act. Daniel wondered if she knew more than she let on about what he saw in Jack, she just didn’t know what to think or say or possibly because she’d been given to him, she had no choice but to stay. He didn’t really know, and he couldn’t ask her now so Daniel pulled from the past and looked around the darkened interior of the cave once more.

Jack stepped away from Daniel and also twisted his pack flashlight on and it bounced off of the other two lights and between the three of them, SG-1 was getting a clearer picture of the space they were in. Daniel turned back towards the gate and frowned, tilting his head in confusion when he realized the Gate was just leaned up against the back wall of a cave, “We don’t see that very often huh? Especially since we are clearly not on the planet we’re supposed to be on.” He motioned towards the Gate and the rest of the team looked and Daniel could pretty much hear the wheels turning in Sam’s head and Jack was thinking deeply, clearly trying to worry out their next move.

Sam hummed in confusion, “Decommissioned Gates are a rarity for us, some of the ‘cold call’ Gates sure but not the one we were supposed to be coming out the other side. There was nothing going on back home to even possibly make this happen.”

“We should probably start figuring out if we can find a power source and set up to dial manually.” Sam nodded at Jack’s words, this wasn’t their first rodeo so they knew what steps to take but they needed to know what was available to them and where they were, possibly how they got here as well, the Gate didn’t normally make these kinds of mistakes but when it did it was usually something pretty catastrophic that caused the malfunction.

Daniel continued to look around the large cave and noticed large sleek black boxes leaning against the walls all around the room then looked back at the Gate again and realized the event horizon had actually burn through the side of its own sleek box. Daniel started towards them, wondering what else he might find and realized no one had been here in a while. There was a layer of dust on each of the boxes. As Daniel walked carefully across the space, he reattached his pack back on since it was just in the way and he needed both of his hands to open some of the crates as he had every intention of doing, Jack was probably going to roll his eyes at the scientist need to touch everything they ever came into contact with but he figured it was a chance he would take. He might find the D.H.D. after all.

“Daniel, don’t wander off.” Jack’s words cut through Sam’s theorizing in the background. As much as Sam and Daniel tended to bounce ideas off of each other, when she started talking about all the possible reasons and scientific scenarios as to why they were tossed from the Gate into the wrong place, the like the rest of the team tended to just let her go.

The archeologist rolled his eyes and shook his head at Jack’s mothering but couldn’t help but smile a little, “I am looking to see if I can find the Dial Home Device in some of these containers. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

Jack snorted inelegantly, “Doubt it.”

So did Daniel but he was going to look anyway, and so he did. The first was filled to the brim with various vases and other clay objects that would be useful in a world without plastic and glass dishes. He carefully replaced the lid, latching it easily back in place before he moved on to the next, finding some aged paintings, each with a protective frame that was doing the best it could to protect its inhabitant but it didn’t look like the packers were archeologists, or they didn’t care about the longevity of the history. Daniel hated those kinds of people, didn’t understand how no one understood the importance of maintaining their records and the proof of people and civilizations that came before. He reclosed the container before he got much more steamed about it. Sadly there was nothing he could do to change that mindset or behavior.

It wasn’t until the fourth case, it was pretty large so he was pretty sure there wasn’t a D.H.D. in there because it wasn’t tall, just wide. He lifted the lid and gasped, as he eyes locked on something that as an archeology student and someone with a doctorate in it, there was no way he could not know what it was but he didn’t understand how it was true except it had happened before. He dropped the lid down, the dull thump bringing the rest of SG-1’s attention to its resident archeologist just as Daniel looked towards the light in the distance, one that he hadn’t noticed before possibly because it was daybreak here. He took off towards it, dimly recognizing when Jack shouted and cursed before Daniel heard the following of clunking boots behind him. They had even mentioned Antarctica, it was one of the few times they’d ever been in such a different place and they’d still been on Earth. What if it was true again, that damn case more than proved it as a possibility. He just didn’t know what it meant for them.

“Daniel!” Jack yelled again, trying to get the other man to stop running which he did when he stumbled up to the mouth of the cave. He leaned against the side and heaved for a second after the fast pace run and looked around. He saw a lot of woods, which was honestly a constant in the worlds they visited. His assumption turned out to be correct and the sun was just coming above the horizon and Daniel brought his hand up to shade the offending light.

“What happened Daniel?” Sam panted as they stopped behind Daniel and started looking out as well. The loud cocking of a gun and the opening of Teal’c’s staff weapon the only other sound in the area as Daniel looked in the other direction, seeing not only trees but something in the distance.

Daniel took a deep breath to steady himself before he answered, “That box back there held King Tut’s tomb, in all the planets in the entire galaxy I have never seen other worlds with anything like it. I think we are still on earth.”

“What?” Jack snapped. Daniel flinched at the anger and fear in his commander’s voice. He understood the sentiment; he didn’t understand how this could be the logical conclusion but the tomb was one of those items that had been preserved well for a long time, if someone had taken care to continue that process then it could still be around or the more likely scenario is it is a prop of some kind to represent the tomb after it had been so decimated with time, Daniel didn’t know but he was sure that it was King Tut’s final resting place or an incredibly made replica and that is an Earth specific piece of history. This was irrevocable proof that they were on earth but then again that did not jive with what they were seeing now. As Daniel’s eyes adjusted to the light he realized what he was seeing in the distance through the trees.

“I think this might have been time travel,” Daniel stated even as he wracked his brain for any other answer one that would be easier to deal with. The last time SG-1 ended up stuck in time it was only because of Hammond’s help that they returned, only because of future Cassie’s help that they were able to get home to there time and who knows if that was even possible now? “And I don’t think it was to the past.”

Jack and the others looked up and out where Daniel was pointing and all of them gasped in shock. In the distance was a city, it looked like any other city on earth like New York or the like but there was one huge difference. It was surrounded in a bubble which was screwing with Daniel’s perception of the building, maybe it was the purpose of the bubble but he couldn’t know for sure, only that he could make out the landscape of the city skyline now.

Daniel watched the shimmer of the shield, if that’s what it was. It was circular and gave plenty of sky between the buildings and the clear layer of whatever it was. It seemed to be energy but there was a platform for it, made of metal and glass or something solid. It was like a bio dome only it held a city and surprisingly there were no fumes in the city at all which made Daniel think that they had discovered the concept of clean energy of some kind. That was intriguing all by itself, coming from a world of fossil fuels and so on.

“Interesting,” Sam stated in her special scientist way and Daniel chuckled despite the stress, the sound was more hysteria than humor and he cut it off quickly with a cough especially when Jack turned and glared at him a little. Daniel shrugged and returned his attention to the city in the distance.

“We cannot be on earth,” Jack stated mulishly, gripping his gun like it was going to protect him from the truth.

“Its possible Sir, we have time traveled before,” Sam replied.

“But this, this isn’t even close to what’s possible. And we wouldn’t ever decommission the Stargate!” Jack’s breathing was coming in pants and he was starting to flail his arms around. Of course, so was his gun so Daniel walked over and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and Jack immediately took a deep breath and he calmed enough that the gun wasn’t pointing all over the place. The Colonel frowned for a moment and Daniel could see when he was about to shake off Daniel’s hand but Daniel just tightened his grip. Jack nodded and visibly tried to calm himself.

Daniel sighed and turned to stare at the city in the distance even as his hand slid down and off Jack’s shoulder, “Okay, then we need information and that’s possibly where we should get it.”

“Umm no thanks,” Jack said in response to Daniel’s suggestion.

“Sir, that is civilization and that’s where we are going to find answers,” Sam put in her two cents. She was shifting around, looking back behind her like she expected the Gate to turn on at any second to take them home but that wasn’t going to happen without information, a D.H.D. or an alternative power source.

“I do not believe we should go to that place, we would be trapped there if they did not understand where we came from and that we mean them no harm,” Teal’c intoned calmly as usual.

“Guys come on, look at that thing, if we could just find out how it worked!” Sam said excitedly her hands gesturing to the buildings in the distance excitedly. It was a lot like when they met the Nox, seeing the amazing things they were capable of and Sam desperately wanting to bring that information home with them.

“No Carter, I am not getting stuck in a snow globe!” Jack barked and turned to look the other direction, finding a whole lot of forest. “Oh goody, trees.”

Daniel smiled again; Jack’s acerbic humor was always gave a sense of security to the younger man. Not in the beginning but now it made he smile even in the darkest and scariest of moments. The older man had become such a comfort in so many different ways to the archeologist and he was now because Jack responded to almost every situation in the same way.

With Jack’s decision made, they all turned and started walking along the path that was worn down by others in the past. This must be a thoroughfare for some of the locals. Daniel walked close to Jack’s shoulder and just slightly back so they didn’t bump into each other constantly just every once in a while. It was enough to feed Daniel’s need for some contact in the stressed situation but not bother Jack’s concentration, Teal’c and Sam followed close behind them. After all the years they’d had, hundreds of times through the gate together they were leery of possible attack especially since they didn’t no where they were and it could have come from any direction. Daniel was busy looking at the trees which were so large and dark that they cut out the sun except in various slivers that shot through the branches and leaves above their heads and he was mesmerized by the look of the light.

“Daniel, stop star gazing!” Jack snapped and Daniel refocused his attention on the pathway in front of them as well as his companions. They walked at a slow pace, nothing too strenuous since they had no idea how far they would have to walk to find some sort of civilization that wasn’t in a bubble.

“We should have gone to the bubble city,” Daniel whined, tired even though they’d walked this far before. It was tough to leave behind such a wonderful discovery for Daniel and Sam, who was clearly thinking about the scientific discovery of the shield and what it could mean for them if they could reverse engineer it.

The team had been together for long enough to know what each of them were thinking in many scenarios. Teal’c and Jack were both focused on possible threats and the scientists were thinking about all the things they could learn and see in that new world they were walking away from especially if they were in Earth’s future.

Right up until the moment when Daniel walked into a tree. Jack snorted in laughter before he reached down to help Daniel off the ground, “Daydreaming, Jackson, is just going to get you into trouble.”

Daniel smiled, the second unexpected skin-on-skin brush of contact in the same day and all he had to do was be the clumsy scientist. He nodded and straightened. They kept on moving, not really speaking to each other, which was Jack’s request. They were in a new place, and it wasn’t a place they were planning on learning more about beyond getting back home so they had no idea what they would run in to. There was too much danger inherent in their trek through the woods for small talk.

Just as the sun was started to set, throwing beautiful lines of red and pinks on the horizon that they could see in the distance through the tree coverage which had thinned out a little here and there on the drive, they saw what seemed to be a village in the distance. Daniel pulled binoculars out of his pack as did Jack the same but when they looked through them, nothing seemed clearer. They were still looking at something blurry off in the distance. Daniel put his binoculars away, assuming they were faulty or he wasn’t using them correctly and they kept walking, only to run into something making Daniel falter back a step before he fell and there was nothing but darkness for a while.

 

Jack took a deep and slightly pained breath as he woke some time later and his first thought was of Daniel, not the team or Carter even though those rumors were still flourishing back at SGC but Daniel. He didn’t want to think about when that happened because it had been a while now but it was too much to think about. Not when they were stuck in a weird place and they’d already been knocked unconscious. His secondary thought was that he didn’t feel the weight of the gun across his chest or at his waist and he didn’t have the knives on his person either.

He sat up on a small cot and looked around the tent like structure they were in, Teal’c and Sam were already awake, the Jaffa helping Sam from her own cot. He turned the other direction and found Daniel laying flat and still on another cot. Jack stood up quickly, shaking off the sudden sensation of his stomach dropping to his feet and the nausea rearing in his gut before it settled and he was about to move to the other’s side and settled down next to the young man. Daniel was such a good man and he worried far more than he was supposed to. Daniel always had that effect on the old Colonel, he wanted Daniel with an intensity that he didn’t know how to deal with and there was nothing he could do about it. And when he said wanted, he meant as more than a friend and co-worker. Daniel was married, or had been married and Jack as a Colonel in the Air Force. Don’t Ask Don’t Tell decided the issue long before Jack had ever met the young scientist.

“Danny, you ok?” he whispered gently and touched the man’s smooth cheek. A shiver went through Jack at the emotion that one small contact did to him. Daniel was starting to stir and Jack helped him sit up even as Daniel pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. Jack took the time to look around and see what they were facing, which were apparently a cheap retreat. The tent had food served for them and clothes to change into. Their packs were even next to each of their cots though their weapons were missing.

“Where are we?” Daniel asked. Jack shrugged and looked back to Teal’c and Carter.

“You guys okay?” he asked them.

They nodded, “Nice little headache but other than that, I’m good,” Carter responded.

“Daniel, how you feeling?” Jack asked the younger man as Daniel took his glasses off to rub his nose. Jack wished he had a good excuse to touch him again; pain alone wasn’t going to let him get away with it, at least not slight headache pain. Maybe he would trip again and Jack could steady him not that Jack was going to do anything to help the younger man’s clumsiness, just use it to his advantage maybe.

“I’m good, Jack. We should see if we can leave this tent,” Daniel requested.

Jack nodded, grabbed his vest and pack and started walking to the flap in the tent just as a young man stepped in and watched them all. Jack spoke quickly and loudly, “Hey, what’s going on? We were just leaving if you don’t mind?”

“I do mind,” he responded. He was lean and about Jack’s height which was easily discerned in his black leather looking pants paired with a close fitted vest with nothing underneath, showing off his arms and bare shoulder as well as he chest and the sharp hipbones at his waist. His dark blonde hair was cut short everywhere but right over his eyes, which was left to fall diagonally across his face. It distracted Jack from the man’s light blue eyes but not enough for him to ignore the coldness in the gaze. This man was not afraid to end a life and he was now in the same space as Jack’s team and especially Daniel.

“So are we prisoners?” Daniel asked. Jack almost swore at Daniel’s need to always be a chatty Cathy. He didn’t like that the man’s eyes ghosted over Jack and focused on the younger man. Jack wanted desperately to step between the man’s view of his archeologist. Then the man smiled and it got that much scarier.

“No, actually you are not but we do have some questions about the weapons you were carrying. They are nothing that’s available in the Mythos system and not even really like the weapons they carry in the city which have never been projectile weapons as yours are.”

“Can we have them back?” Jack asked in vain hope.

The man looked back to Jack with a straight face, “No you cannot.”

“If we are not prisoners then maybe its time to tell us what’s going on. It would be great to know where we are.” Jack knew it wasn’t the best time to be snappish but this guy was freaking him out and the sooner they left his presence, the happier Jack was going to be.

“Well you are in my Infidel camp right now, you cannot go to the island until Zarkina comes to collect you. She is not slated for a visit for a couple days.”

“Why would we want to go to an island with someone we’ve never heard of?” Jack asked.

“You are not attempting to gain entrance to the Vannas Island?”

Jack looked at Daniel, wondering if they should just agree with the man but he understood the silence for what it was, an admission of confusion and the man clearly knew it so lying would do nothing.

“You do not know what I’m talking about do you?” he asked. Then again without waiting for an answer he surely knew was coming, the man started laughing but took a couple deep breaths and asked with another chuckle. “Who are you and where did you come from?”

Daniel stepped forward and Jack put a hand up so he couldn’t move any closer to the creeper man. “Have you been inside the cave close to that city that’s inside a bubble?”

“Indeed we have, it is a fine vantage point if we feel the need to spy on the outer limits of the city in a bubble as you say. Why?”

“There is a big circle, it’s a transportation device and we weren’t supposed to come here. We need to know what planet this is?”

The man frowned again, “This is the planet that all people from Mythos Star System call home now, and it retained its name.”

“Stop with the teasing?” Jack barked, annoyance making him testy.

“Earth,” the man said.

Jack sat down hard on the cot and Daniel moved to stand next to him, just becoming a comforting presence as he constantly was in their relationship. “I know, Jack I was hoping he wouldn’t say it either. What year is it?” he asked the other man.

“Well again the original inhabitants of this planet have been keeping concise records which we utilize roughly so as far as we understand it is around the year 2440.”

“Holy Hannah!” Carter said from behind Jack and he whole-heartedly agreed. How could they have possibly been pushed over four hundred years into the future? Jack was honestly surprised that the planet was still here. After everything that happened with the Goa’uld and replicators, not to mention all the crap that humans did to each other he figured the planet would have had a much shorter life span.

“So you are from the past on this planet?” the man asked proving himself to be entirely to smart for the good of Jack’s team.

Jack nodded weakly, still looking down at his feet. He didn’t want to look at his team right now, not when he was unsure of his position as what they were supposed to do. This wasn’t like going back in time barely twenty years; this world may have well been an alien world because they would recognize nothing here.

“What time are you from?”

“2001,” Daniel answered.

“Hmm,” the man muttered. Jack looked up at him.

“That’s all you have to say? We have just found out that we are in the very long distant future of our own planet with probably no way home and that’s all you got?”

“You are welcome to stay here as long as you need and I will get Zarkina. She will be able to help you make a life here on this world, somewhere that you will be safe.”

“No, we need to find a power source, get the Gate up and running and go home!” Jack snapped. Daniel squeezed his shoulder gently and somehow Jack couldn’t convince himself not to take the young man’s hand for a short moment of comfort.

The man shrugged and was about to walk out when Daniel spoke, “Can I ask who you are?”

The man laughed, “So very polite you are. I am Damnation the Markis Alecti of the Queen.”

“Your name is Damnation?” Jack asked in confusion.

“Actually my name is Vane Atrogos but no one here calls me that name. Damnation is my title and position.”

“My name is—“

“Daniel Jackson, I know,” Damnation startled them all by saying. “And Colonel Jonathon O’Neill and Samantha Carter and Teal’c. I must ask, what kind of name is Colonel?”

Jack chuckled, “Its not my name, its my rank in the military of our time. My name is Jack. How did you know our names?”

“A little bird told me,” he said with an impertinent wink and left the tent.

“Wow, he’s annoying,” Jack stated. Daniel snorted at Jack’s inappropriate humor then quickly apologized for it. Jack rolled his eyes at the younger man before he turned towards Sam; they all sat down and waited for him to start. “Do you think we can find a power source Carter?” he asked.

“I think we might get more information out of this Zarkina that he keeps mentioning. We should just lay low until we meet her then go with more information. Maybe we would have been better off going to the city.”

Jack snorted, hindsight was always much clearer vision but just as he was going to speak someone else did and her voice was sultry and deep but at the same time there was humor and kindness as well. They turned as a unit to the woman standing just inside the tent.

“They would have put you in jail, believing you were one of my people. The city’s government has no acceptance for new people or different people, you are both.”

And this must be Zarkina.


	2. Panic Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting the leader of these people, Zarkina is going to bring up some old issues for Daniel, ones he hadn't dealt with in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly updated, thanks for reading!
> 
> Updated 9/28/2015

Daniel watched the woman, knowing that he was being rude but it didn’t seem to make a difference in his head at the moment. He’d seen amazing creatures in his time going through the Stargate, beautiful people and disturbing creatures but this woman had something about her, it was hard to put his finger on it and he definitely couldn’t seem to stop looking. She was slender but had plenty of curves in all the right places and he wondered if he hadn’t already been involved in some unrequited love with his male and very straight commanding officer, he figured this was the kind of woman who would attract him, in fact she kind of reminded Daniel of Sha’re.

She had long black hair and there were silver streaks all through out, not prematurely grey but silver. The tresses were braided at the temples but mostly left loose around her shoulders and back. It shone in the shimmer of the candlelight in the tent but also it seemed to shimmer without any help at all like she was lit from within somehow. Her skin was dark; like she was born of Native Americans but her eyes were green. They were a deep green but there was a circle close to the iris of a light lime green. It was an interesting color and Daniel felt pulled into her gaze as she looked at them all.

As usual Jack seemed to clear the fog first, “Why shouldn’t we have gone to the snow globe city? We have been knocked out already by your people as well as held here against our will.”

The woman smiled and Daniel felt safe and calm suddenly without a reason to. He didn’t understand the change and he took in a deep breath to try to maintain some peace in the face of something in his past. He remembered the last time he’d felt so calm without a physical reason to feel such a thing. He remembered the calm acceptance that came before the rape when Hathor attacked the base, it was all confused and foggy but he knew that feeling still even though he had never really talked about it with anyone but Jack. He found himself moving backwards without the knowledge or choice and searched anywhere for an escape from the drugged calm he felt. Daniel could feel Jack’s gaze on him, standing slowly and followed Daniel across the room. The younger man reached out to grab Jack’s arm when the Colonel came close enough. Jack would understand, he needed the words to come out of his mouth but the gasping breaths coming from his lips and nose made it hard but finally they slipped out in a strangled choked exhalation of sound, “Jack… Hathor…”

Daniel noticed the spots at the edge of his vision; he was going to pass out if he didn’t get this under control. He closed his eyes for a second and tried to shake off the dizzy spell then opened his eyes and watched as Jack turned to the woman whose face was pulled into a concerned scowl. “May I help in some way?” she asked gently.

“Are you doing something to us, to keep us calm?” Jack demanded, putting the pieces together from Daniel’s response. Suddenly Damnation was next to the woman’s side as if she needed protecting though Daniel was sure she didn’t. She was holding a hand out to stop her eager protector.

“Please forgive me, it is something I cannot control. I did not know it would cause such a negative response. My _Magis_ Zara likes to keep everyone on an even keel. She does it to keep me safe, who is this Hathor and what did she do to Daniel?”

“Again with the knowing of our names!” Jack snarled in anger. The Colonel hated magic stuff, stuff that Sam couldn’t explain and he was responding badly, Daniel’s current panic wasn’t helping. Daniel knew the Colonel was feeling out of his element and as such, he was striking out before someone could strike at him but Daniel couldn’t help at the moment since his breathing was still erratic and his vision blurring from being unable to get enough oxygen in through the attack. He barely heard when Jack snarled at the woman again, “Its none of your business what she did, you are scaring him and that’s all you need to know.”

Daniel was barely holding it together enough to see what was happening across of the room but he did see as the woman looked at Damnation who was pushing at Zarkina’s arm like he was going to attack Daniel and Jack, “I am fine Vane, they are not hurting me. They are just scared.”

Damnation stepped back, so he wasn’t a menacing presence not that he was bothering Daniel. The calming sensation he’d been getting since Zarkina walked in was dissipating. His breathing started to slow, his heart rate slipped back down to normal range and he found himself holding onto Jack’s arm and reluctant to let go as his vision cleared and the fear slipped back into the past where it belonged.

The Colonel still stood close to Daniel, that comforted him as he stepped up closer to the woman again, “Hathor was a monster that used some mojo on us to keep us complacent and she used it to rape me,” Daniel explained with his matter of fact tone, he was done hiding some of the things from his past because hiding it allowed those secrets to still have power over him. It did not escape his notice when Jack and Sam both flinched at the word. He didn’t normally talk about that particular situation and he’d never said is so bluntly. The only reason he was saying it now was because the woman needed to know because he didn’t know how long the trauma would affect his response.

“I am sorry that you had that experience, I will not use this particular ability unless I feel my life is being threatened. I am Akina Jewel Sky-Merrick, Queen of the Vannas. My position demands that you call me Zarkina though I wish we could be a little more informal. I am hoping to answer some of your questions but I am equally hoping that you will share some information from your time.”

“Let me guess, you know our names already?” Jack asked.

“Yes, Jack I know your names because Vane shared them with me when he contacted me about your arrival.”

“So you have telephones or some method of communication?” Daniel asked, curiosity winning out against the fear he’d been feeling at the prospect of someone controlling his actions.

Zarkina smiled, “He contacted me telepathically.”

Jack threw his hands in the air, as if he was just done with the conversation. “I cannot deal with all this magic crap! We dealt with this with the Nox, I didn’t like it then and I don’t like it now.”

Daniel looked to the queen who was grinning, apparently enjoying the show. “You might want to accept the ‘magic thing’ because all my people, the Vannas, are all magical beings.”

Jack grumbled under his breath and crossed his arms over his chest. Daniel grinned; he knew Jack was struggling with the constant shifting of information but he also understood in some secret part of his mind and heart that Jack was over acting the response because it would help Daniel focus which it was helping. It was true, Jack hated magic stuff when it came across their desks, he could handle the high technology because Sam could reverse engineer and explain how it works but magic was a constant that couldn’t truly be explained. So Jack didn’t like it, Sam didn’t either while Daniel and Teal’c seemed to understand that they needed to be more accepting of it, partially because of Daniel’s cultural studies and the importance mythology had in society and that sometimes mythology has a kernel of truth and Teal’c was a Jaffa who knew a great many things in the worlds. Daniel finally spoke, “Let her give us the information she needs to tell us.”

Daniel watched as Jack gave a quick jerking nod and Daniel gripped the Colonel shoulder gently before he refocused on the woman before them. Again, noticing the woman’s beauty and becoming slightly distracted by it until she started speaking again, straight to Sam instinctively knowing she was the one to ask. “What do you need to make this transportation device to work?”

Jack started to zone out Sam’s technological based explanation, and it was semi-dumbed down for someone who wouldn’t understand the words she was using. Zarkina listened intently and stopped Sam every once in a while to receive a clarification on various aspects and Daniel focused on Jack who was swaying side to side. He watched the quiet strength in his friend until Zarkina coughed and he looked at her, seeing the little smile she was shooting at him as if she knew what was going on. And of course she could be capable of such a thing, Damnation had known their names without being told and she could probably read his mind.

Daniel blanked his dirty thoughts about Jack’s body and tried to listen to the tale end of Sam’s explanation. When Sam was done, Zarkina nodded as if she understood everything the scientist had said and with her abilities, its possible that she did. Sam had tried very hard to put the information into simple terms and ideas.

“Well I do not know about the city but there is a few of my people who might be able to boost the Gate’s power source or replicate it but I believe the true problem would be to estimate these solar flares. I do not even know what they are.”

Sam started to launch into an explanation of them but Zarkina just held up her hand to stop the scientist. Sam stopped and waited.

“Zarcorp has the most information on technology and my informants have told me about much of his science projects but he is not interested in the sky and beyond. I do not really know how to get you home. I am very sorry.”

Daniel’s heart seized in his chest and the thought that there was nothing they could do. The last time they were lost in time, they’d had help from the past Hammond and the future Cassie. There was no possibility of that here. They were going to be declared dead and there was no way to determine when solar flare’s usefulness and so here they were with no chance of ever seeing home again, their real home.

Sam had a family back then, her brother and father. Teal’c had family and so did Jack though the Colonel hardly ever spoke about them. Now because of some major glitch in the gate system they were all dead to everyone who may have ever loved them. Suddenly, on the end of his post traumatic response to Zarkina’s power Daniel couldn’t seem to contain the devastating truth in the moment. They could never go home, “Oh God! What are we going to do?” Daniel gasped out.

Jack grabbed his shoulder and suddenly they were all wrapped around each other, offering comfort in a situation that there was no real comfort to be had. Daniel felt the tears rolling down his cheeks while he pressed his forehead into Jack’s shoulder and Sam was pressed against his back with Teal’c pressing a heavy and gentle hand to Daniel’s shoulder where Jack wasn’t pressed, “I am sorry Teal’c, Sam. You had family.”

“At least we’re together. We are family too,” Sam responded with her face tucked into the back of his shoulder but he wasn’t a fool, he could hear the tight grip she had on her emotions at the moment but that wouldn’t last. Never getting the chance to say goodbye was something he’d struggled with since he lost his parents at nine. He didn’t understand the loss then and sometimes it still haunted him, and now it would haunt his friends. For Daniel, this wasn’t the worst thing to happen because his family _was_ SG-1.

Daniel nodded into Jack’s shoulder anyway and tightened his grip on the man’s vest. Zarkina cleared her throat and the team stepped back from each other and looked at her again. Daniel wiped the tears from his face; Sam was doing the same while Jack and Teal’c stayed stoically calm.

Zarkina spoke once more now that she had their attention, “I know you are suffering right now, please know that you are safe and protected here and after you have had the chance to become more familiar with your surroundings and all that it entails as this world will be as alien as anything you ever saw through your Stargate, I hope you will join me on my island. For now, stay with Vane and learn all that you can about this time and this world because there are things that can hurt or kill you. Vane and his people will show you what I am talking about. I will see you very soon.”

Then she was gone, not moving quickly out of the room but popped out of there instantly, clearly using some sort of teleporting ability. Jack took a couple deep breaths to keep from freaking out when Daniel grabbed his wrist and kept the freak out at bay. For a second anyway, “I don’t think I can deal with the magic crap. I don’t trust it!”

Daniel lifted his hand, releasing his wrist to pat his shoulder in comfort. He couldn’t make this better for the Colonel, they couldn’t change the situation they were in and there was apparently no chance of going home now. He didn’t try to think up any empty platitudes, he said nothing in fact. There was nothing to say.

“Hello,” another female voice said as someone walked into the door. They all turned again and Daniel could tell Jack was done for the day when their commanding officer answered.

“What?” he snapped at the three women who were standing with trays of food. They walked in and put the trays down, Daniel got the sense of slim figures and tanned skin. One had blonde hair and the other two had dark hair. That was all Daniel saw as they leaned down and deposited their trays and started walking out. The two dark haired women touched all four of them and the blonde did as well, kissing Jack on the cheek after touching lips to Sam’s cheek as well.

Then they walked out of the tent and Jack spoke, “That was strange but it seems strangeness is suddenly on a sliding scale.”

“I supposed we should eat otherwise we won’t have the energy to deal with the next weird thing that walk through that opening,” Daniel replied and was met with weary nods.

They settled down to some peace and food, the fare turned out to be pretty normal. There was a variety of fruits and vegetables of slightly different colors though the tastes were pretty similar and after all the MRE’s and mess hall food, this was a nice change of pace. Then as the sun was setting they were led to a place to take care of their business before bed. In the small camp that meant some trees and leaves to clean up after, they were used to that kind of thing. There was a small river to clean up, splashing the water on his face before they turned back to the tent they had been in since they woke up. Daniel watched as Jack settled on one of the cots and he couldn’t help but breath in, watching the simple movements of the other man and wanted to reach out and touch him. Daniel fought against the desire that seemed to have risen out of nowhere, he’d been fighting his feelings for a while so he didn’t understand why it was hard to resist all of a sudden.

Daniel forced himself down onto his cot and pressed his hands into his sides and closed his eyes, listening as Sam and Teal’c settled into their cots and everyone fell silent. Daniel stayed focused on the sounds of his teammates as their breathing evened out in sleep and noticed that Jack’s did not but he was not going to open his eyes and search the room for the soldier, not when touching him seemed like the only thing rushing around in his mind at the moment. He tossed and turned, not really knowing why he couldn’t find a way to sleep after a bad day like the one they had. He’d learned from years on digs with his parents and years in foster care then living with an active unit as a part of SG-1, to sleep whenever he could. Now all he could see when he closed his eyes was kissing Jack over and over again. He wanted so badly to reach over the short distance to the other man and touch him again. They had been in constant contact with each all through out the day and it wasn’t enough anymore. He’d been living with these feelings for the better part of three years and today was the day he could no longer deal with the rules and not having him but he just didn’t understand what was different from about two hours ago.

“Danny, sleep.” Jack’s voice whispered across Daniel’s skin and made him squirm a little more, digging his hands into the sides of the cot to keep him from moving. Then he sighed, being in the confined space, it was getting under his skin, Jack was always under his skin truthfully but it seemed even more apparent right now. He needed space.

“I can’t Jack, I think I need to get some air.”

“You are not leaving my sight in a place that we don’t know with a bunch of people I don’t trust. I won’t risk it, I won’t risk you.”

Daniel smiled a little, hearing the words but locked that down and feeling grateful for the cover of darkness in the tent as he spoke before he could stop himself, “Then come with me.”

Jack grumbled but resigned himself to the fact that Daniel needed this so they both put their shoes back on and walked out of the tent. They walked past all the tents and kept walking for a little while finding themselves in a clearing where there was a pool of water. The pool was surprisingly warm for it being the middle of the night and there was a strange light radiating from the deep of the water, Daniel wondered if there was a little hocus pokus going on here. He shrugged, thinking about it wasn’t going to help anything right now and he came out here to try to reign in the pounding in his chest and the rush of blood that was warming him from the inside out and making him want things desperately that he’d always learned to be okay without.

They settled down against a large downed tree trunk and Daniel stared at the water as he breathed in the freedom of being out of the tent. The tight space was part of the problem but it wasn’t all of it obviously. He leaned his head back and stared at the stars in the sky instead. He couldn’t see the constellations that he’d grown up looking at; they were either gone or moved out of their recognizable positioning.

With a heavy sigh Daniel spoke, deciding he would deal with a different subject for the moment, “This isn’t the earth we know. How are we going to survive this place?”

Jack lifted his arm and Daniel immediately burrowed into the Colonel’s shoulder, finding comfort in the man’s touch even as it confused him. The Colonel didn’t get this close to Daniel, ever. This was something new and frightening as well as exciting. Daniel pressed a hand to the Jack’s chest and sighed.

Jack spoke after a moment, “Daniel we have been in crazy places, and dealt with crazy situations and we did all of those things together. I know you are worried, I know you feel all the loss for each of us in your heart and head. I know you can’t breath with the pain you know we will deal with at the loss of the past and our world but you don’t have to feel it all by yourself.”

Daniel nodded, Jack had been telling Daniel to stop feeling everything for everyone else for years. Jack knew how much empathy he carried in his heart and knew the damage it did to Daniel even as the archeologist hid it to the best of his ability but Jack was different, he always seemed to know when Daniel was hurting, like right now.

Of course right now, pain wasn’t really the primary thing that was happening. Daniel’s skin was flushed and warm, again he was glad for the darkness so Jack couldn’t see his blush. He knew he shouldn’t be sitting so close, he didn’t know how Jack couldn’t feel the lust that seemed to be coming off of Daniel in waves, causing him to harden in desire. Jack just kept rubbing his hand gently over his shoulder and Daniel pulled away to look at the older man though in the dim lighting he couldn’t see more than the vague outline of Jack’s features and suddenly wished the strange light from the lake was enough to allow Daniel to see into Jack’s dark brown eyes, “What’s going on with you Jack?”

Jack looked at him and took a deep breath. Daniel didn’t know what was happening, didn’t think anything was going to happen then Jack leaned forward and touched his lips gently to Daniel’s. The younger man was shocked, sucking in a deep breath at the touch which seemed only to pull Jack in even more. Daniel was flabbergasted; he never imagined it to be possible. There was an instant where he didn’t do anything and then the dam burst and Daniel couldn’t stop himself as he shifted to face Jack then he was pressing across Jack’s chest. He shifted enough to make it easier to slide one of his legs over Jack’s lap then they were pressed as close as humanly possible and Daniel slid his tongue in to rub against Jack’s. He listened to the sounds it caused, the moan deep in the back of Jack’s throat then Daniel was gasping and pulling back for a second before moving in for another.

He couldn’t believe what was happening, he was kissing Jack O’Neill.


	3. Change in Status

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Daniel are finding their way through their first time simply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been updated 9/28/2015
> 
> This is the explicit version, there is a Mature Rated Version on FF.net under Gate to Vannas with Akinasky as the Author. Thank you.

Jack couldn’t believe he was sitting in the forest in a foreign world that was supposed to be far into the future earth with a lap full of archeologist. His archeologist. The one he’d been doing everything he could to ignore for a while now. He slipped his tongue back and slid it along the crease of Daniel’s lips to take in the taste as he moaned into the touch. Jack didn’t know where to put his hands while wanting them to be everywhere at once but knowing that wasn’t an option, instead he focused on placing them against Daniel’s sides then letting his hand slip upwards into the younger man’s spine before sliding back down again. He gripped at the shirt Daniel was wearing and tugged it upwards so he could slip his fingers down just enough to touch hot flesh and he shuddered. He wanted more.

He pressed his fingertips into the base of Daniel’s spine and listened to the little moans that came from the back of Daniel’s throat and Jack smiled into the other man’s mouth as they kept kissing. He released his grip on Daniel’s lower back after a few minutes before his palms climbed back up to Daniel’s neck and he left his palms there pressing into the skin and feeling the harsh pulse of Daniel’s heart through his neck.

Jack finally dragged his mouth from Daniel’s so he could speak. He couldn’t seem to stop the words that came pouring out of his mouth, “Danny, I want you so much.”

His young friend frowning in confusion demanded, “Since when?” the words were panted between heavy breaths that wafted across Jack’s face. Daniel’s hands were sliding up and down Jack’s back, the simple glide of his warm fingertips zinging sensation from the center of Jack’s back all the way to his penis and causing it to rise in his pants more so than the friction from Daniel sitting in his lap already had. His thighs were strong on either side of Jack’s legs, nothing like he’d ever experienced before with a woman and somehow it was more erotic than anything he’d felt in longer than he’d care to admit.

Jack pressed Daniel close to him again, their chests rubbing and their hearts hammering against each other as he thought about what the heck he had to say about all this. He wanted Daniel, that wasn’t a lie or some weird new thing, it had been there before just buried under a whole lot of military crap and self recriminations about being a straight man and not letting down his parents, he’d wanted Daniel but this moment now was just the time he let go of all the other things and focused on the passion and the man sitting in his lap finding that he only really cared that Daniel was kissing him back but found the truth when he spoke, “There was always something there, I wouldn’t have let just anyone save me on Abydos and then when Sha’re was taken and you came home with me, there was something more than friendship should have been. You let me into your life.”

“Oh Jack, why didn’t you tell me?” Daniel demanded, leaning forward to lick at the seam of Jack’s lips again. The Colonel moaned at the contact and took Daniel’s lips in another searing kiss. Jack found himself jerking his hips upwards into Daniel’s welcoming hardness at the juncture of his legs.

He ripped his mouth away just enough to groan into the other man’s mouth, “I didn’t really know, Danny I swear. You were married and I had no reason to believe you would have returned my feelings.”

“Feelings Jack?” Daniel whispered the questioned into Jack’s mouth, between kisses.

“Feelings Danny. This is not just some mid life crisis or something. I have felt things for you, more than friendship for a while now. Though I cannot pinpoint when I started fantasizing about you, hoping I could see more than a little something in the showers but I had to lock it down, I couldn’t be gay and we could have never been together.”

Daniel grinned and he nodded in understanding, “Oh Colonel Jack, I have been falling for you for a long time. I trusted you, respected you in the field and fell for you out of the field. I needed you more than you could ever understand. Please Jack.”

“Oh Danny,” Jack whispered again, happiness wrapped up in a good helping of regret. There was nothing they could do about the past but the present was nice and all Jack could think was that he had everything he’d wanted for the past couple years sitting in his lap.

He reached up and touched the side of Daniel’s face, leaning forward just enough to meet his lips once more, this kiss slowing to a caress instead of hard passion. Daniel leaned more heavily into the kiss and moaned happily into Jack’s mouth. Daniel’s arms wrapped around Jack’s neck and his legs tightened over his hips. Their bodies continued to rub against each other and both men groaned out loud at the contact even if it was through two layers of clothing.

Daniel pulled back again, Jack frowned at him and he asked, “What’s wrong Danny?”

“Why now? Is this just going to disappear when we go to the tent or if we ever get home?”

Jack shook his head but he wondered a little bit about that as well. He didn’t have any future assurances besides how he’d felt for Daniel all this time, “I don’t know why this needs to change right now. Maybe its because we don’t have to worry about Don’t Ask Don’t Tell anymore. I am no longer a Colonel on earth. In this time and place, no one even knows what that means or the rules that dictate my life and behaviors.”

“So are you going to tell Teal’c and Sam that we are involved? Are we involved?” Daniel asked, that darn frown still there making Jack want to kiss it away and ignore the fact that he thought it was cute. Everything about Daniel made Jack respond more than he ever should have.

Jack shrugged, amazed at Daniel ability to have an in depth conversation about this when their erections were pressing into each other but that was just Daniel. “Maybe we should puzzle out the situation for ourselves before we bring them into it though with us all in the same tent I don’t know how they aren’t going to be the first to see something different between us.”

“How we gonna do that, Colonel? The puzzling out, that is.”

Jack grinned, letting go of the worry and the possible freak out and just focused on Daniel. It was the best thing he could do, he’d spent a good portion of time in his head, feeling disgust at himself for being attached and worse, attracted to a man. Thankfully he’d never found any other man to be handsome and he’d never been desperate to stick his tongue down any other throat than Daniel’s but he didn’t want to be gay, didn’t think he was gay and now even though he desperately wanted to touch every scrap of skin on this man’s body, he ignored the truth of the situation and just kissed Daniel again and again.

Right now, he only felt love in his heart and lust in his body but no disgust. He was going to enjoy it while it lasted before reality started nipping at his heels if it had any plans to. He settled Daniel back having the younger man lean on his hands, which were gripping Jack’s thighs as he unbuttoned Daniel’s shirt and started licking his way down Daniel’s chest. He opened Daniel’s pants next and reached in to touch the shaft within. There was a beauty to Daniel’s body that Jack never thought he would see in a man’s body. Daniel moaned as Jack started stroking the hard length in his hand. Daniel struggled against Jack, trying to get away or get closer Jack wasn’t sure.

“What do you want Danny?” Jack husked against the skin of Daniel’s outstretched neck where his lips were traveling just to feel the shudders of pleasure and the gasps slipping out of Daniel’s open mouth.

“As much of you as I can get,” he whispered back to Jack, his voice husky with pleasure.

The older man smiled into Daniel’s skin as he nipped it a little, making Daniel strain against him, pushing his chest up and into Jack’s. Then Jack nudged Daniel off of his lap to which Daniel muttered his annoyance but Jack just shushed him gently and laid him down on the soft grass next to them and shoved at Daniel’s military issue shirt until Jack could press his lips against Daniel’s chest, finding first one nipple them the other, blowing on the damp flesh. Daniel arched again and Jack didn’t remember the last time he’d been so turned on by his partner’s response. Daniel was so sensitive.

He moved lower, lapping at Daniel’s straining stomach muscles and down lower as he tugged at Daniel’s pants. Jack helped him shimmy out of the clothing just enough for the man’s straining erection slip from his boxers. Jack didn’t really know what to do; he knew what he liked so he started by flicking his tongue across the tip. Then he slipped his grip around the shaft and slowly started stroking up and down. He listened to Daniel’s breathing since the younger man seemed to be a quiet lover. Daniel’s hands gripped at Jack’s shoulder when he loved what Jack was doing, his breath heaved and he would whimper when Jack did something just right. Then after several minutes of stroking, Jack took a deep breath and pressed his lips to the tip finding that he was as steady inside as when he started. He wondered if he was going to freak out about being a straight man at any moment but it didn’t come. Jack used the ignorance to press forward, mouth over the head and into the back of his mouth and started bobbing his head.

Again, Jack was amazed by the overwhelmed pleasure he found in the act of giving Daniel gratification, of learning the sounds his new lover would make when he was turned on, when he was getting closer and when to pull back and allow Daniel to rise and fall under him. He was surprised that he only felt love and desire where before he’d felt a good deal of trepidation and disgust. Something here was changing his reactions and he hoped it was just because Daniel was here in his arms and that’s all he needed. He licked and sucked Daniel into his mouth, revving the younger man to a speedy climax and just as Daniel shouted, Jack swallowed down what sprang from his lover’s length. He climbed back up Daniel’s body and kissed his lover’s lips, transferring that delicious taste to Daniel’s lips that didn’t seem to mind.

It was several minutes of quiet panting as Daniel pressed his hand into his forehead as if he couldn’t believe the pleasure he’d experienced, “I never thought you would do something like that with me,” Daniel finally said. “I’m glad I was wrong.”

Jack kissed him again and shifted his aching erection in his pants, he was leaking and it was getting painful to not do anything about it but he had no demands for Daniel, just that his partner found pleasure. Without any warning, Daniel flipped Jack off of him and started pulling Jack’s clothes at random places to bare his skin to the night sky and Daniel’s hands. He was so clumsy in his trek down to Jack’s pants but it just made the Colonel hotter. Daniel gripped him through his BDU’s before rasping down the zipper, pulling out Jack’s cock and slowly working it in his hand. He smiled as he watched Jack’s reaction for a few minutes as he moaned and tried to thrust his hips. Daniel held him still, making Jack groan in frustration, “Don’t tease me Danny.”

Daniel shrugged and with a naughty grin, leaned down and lapped at Jack’s tip before engulfing it in his mouth. Daniel sucked at the tip and Jack watched the man’s cheeks hollow out around his cock and he groaned again. He was desperately trying to hold off his orgasm so he could enjoy the heat of Danny’s mouth on him and he could just imagine some time in the near future, being able to put his cock inside Daniel’s body and get the same tightness and that sent him over the edge. Daniel gave him a couple of hard strokes and he was done.

Jack panted, trying to slow his heart rate as Daniel settled down next to him, placing his head on Jack’s chest where he could hear the Colonel’s heart beat and they both lay there in sated bliss.

“Wow, Danny that was amazing.”

Thank you sir, I aim to please.” Daniel executed the laziest of salutes.

Jack frowned and chuckled lightly, “Now you call me sir, that’s just weird Danny.”

Daniel laughed in response and Jack listened to that sound, feeling content for causing it. The archeologist rarely laughed and rarely smiled either and with good reason. His life was filled with nightmares, after losing Sha’re and every death hit the other man like a ton of bricks. Jack wanted to let Daniel know that they could be happy here, maybe they could learn to find a way to be useful and together. It was the best time for Jack to accept his love for the younger man because he was no longer bound by the rules of the military. It also seemed that for Daniel, Jack was willing to accept he truly had feelings for the other man. He hoped that notion would never change because he couldn’t stand the idea of hurting his newfound lover.

“We should go and try to sleep in the tent,” Jack said to the quiet man. Daniel’s hand was slipping up and down on Jack’s chest and they both rose from the ground and redressed themselves. As they were walking back to their tent, Jack took Daniel’s hand and smiled at his new lover who smiled a little because Jack didn’t balk at touching Daniel.

As they got closer to the tent, they could hear rustling around that sounded a lot like noises they were making next to the pool. Jack laughed loudly as they opened the flap to see Carter grabbing another kiss from Teal’c before leaping under the covers on her own cot. Daniel tried to pull away from Jack but the Colonel wouldn’t let him, so he stopped struggling and just smiled shyly.

“Obviously we weren’t the only ones desperate to accept our feelings for someone else and change our relationship status,” Daniel remarked quietly.

They noticed that Sam and Teal’c had moved their cots closer together so they were in touching distance of one another. Daniel stood there uncertain, not knowing what they should do so Jack sighed, grabbed his cot and shoved it closer to Daniel’s before he nudged his new lover into the cot and then sat next to him. Jack leaned down and pressed a kiss to the side of Daniel’s head before he settled on his own cot and listened to his team as they started to drift off to sleep. Jack pressed one of Daniel’s hand gently into his lips for a moment as Daniel fell asleep quickly, the archeologist knew he was safe and he wasn’t going to miss out on the chance for some sleep. Jack stayed awake a little while longer, thinking about what he hadn’t said to Daniel because he was still scared of using the words but right now in the silence of the tent with the gentle breathing of his team he whispered into the night air, “I love you Danny.” And he hoped that soon he would be able to say the words to Daniel when he was awake.


	4. The Reason Why

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why did SG-1 fall into each other's arms like that? Lets find out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated: 9/28/2015

Daniel woke up the next day feeling a little disorientated for a moment, he wasn’t sleeping on the ground but he was in a tent and someone had a light grasp on his hand. He blinked open his eyes and gazed into Jack’s chocolate brown eyes, fuzzy because Daniel wasn’t wearing his glasses but he smiled. He remembered with a flash the night before, next to the little lake and sitting in Jack’s lap. He didn’t remember the last time he came so hard from his own hand or even some of the women he’d been with after losing Sha’re, though there were only a few of those and they were mostly to hide out from how Daniel had truly felt for Jack. He felt the blood rushing to the surface of his cheeks at the memory of the previous night and because of the look in Jack’s eyes. Heat and happiness mingled in those deep brown depths. There was nothing sexier to Daniel than this man before him. Jack had always been in good shape and even if he stopped keeping himself in active-duty shape, those eyes would turn Daniel to Jell-O all by themselves.

“Hi,” he said, clearing his throat as his voice was coming out husky.

Jack smiled at him in response, “Hi yourself, my beautiful Danny.”

Daniel was pretty sure his blush had just gotten brighter, his face sure got a lot warmer. Jack lifted Daniel’s hand and kissed the palm, close to his thumb and it caused a shiver to run through the younger man. The Colonel noticed the shiver and did it again with a little bit of teeth added for benefit.

“SG-1, are you decent?” Damnation called from the other side of the flap.

“Define ‘decent’?” Jack whispered as he kissed Daniel’s hand once more before sitting up. Daniel sighed, sitting up as well. Across the room, Teal’c and Sam were pulling away from each other, having been involved in some good morning routine as well. This was going to take some getting used to for all of them, SG-1 paired off with each other. If they ever did happen upon a way home, they were going to have to hide everything from General Hammond if they wanted to stay together and Daniel didn’t imagine Jack taking to well to the idea of splitting the four of them up. He didn’t even approve of when other teams borrowed Daniel, or Sam and Teal’c. With the institution that would gladly send Jack to jail for loving Daniel they were better off here.

“Come on in if you must,” Jack grumbled as he stumbled off of his cot and Daniel followed behind, they had to let go of each other to get up but then Jack reached out for Daniel’s hand again and he couldn’t help but smile at the physical connection between them. He didn’t know if this was really going to survive the light of day but he was going to hold onto it for as long as possible.

“Do you see what you did? You had no right to meddle in their affairs!” Damnation was mad and he was yelling at the young blonde that had served them dinner the night before. She flinched in response to Damnation’s anger, her body folding in on itself in the face of it.

“What’s going on?” Jack demanded.

“This is Love, she and her lackeys served you a meal last night and dosed you while she was at it! I ask for your forgiveness, they must have taken the food from the other servers because they were not given that duty. I should have stayed close to make sure one of my people didn’t come after you.” Damnation growled, his grip on the woman tightening to painful proportions which Daniel took offense to as he watched the skin white out around Damnation’s fingers and thumb.

“I think you should let her go,” Daniel said sharply. He agreed with Jack about Damnation, the younger man was deeply disturbing but he wasn’t going to let him hurt a woman without doing something about it.

Damnation glared at Daniel for his interruption. He even took a step towards Daniel but Jack took a step over so he was standing between Daniel and Damnation, pulling the Archeologist from his focus on Damnation. Daniel had understood from the first year they worked together that Jack was a mother hen and even without the added ‘lover’ on the end of their relationship words, they were going to have a problem with Jack playing protector. Since Damnation couldn’t glare at Daniel through Jack’s head and shoulder, he turned back to the victim of his original ire.

“What did she dose us with exactly?” Jack asked, distracting Damnation once more to which Daniel had to grin a little about. He clearly didn’t like the look Damnation was giving Love either.

“Her ability is to force those whom she would touch to see the love they feel for someone, none of their reasons will stand in the way of the love while her lackeys take care of dropping someone’s inhibitions. Desire and Lust cannot be stopped, their powers are all around them like air but Love here knows how to control her ability and she used it to make you guys see your love for each other.”

Daniel felt Jack flinch at the word love and Daniel frowned, Jack’s whole body stiffened and Daniel tried to remove his hand, suddenly wondering if this was the moment when all that feeling and love would just disappear in the face of morning but Jack still wouldn’t let go of him as he watched Damnation and Love. The blonde woman finally spoke up, “You were incapable of seeing the hurt they felt at not being with each other. I could feel their pain from across the camp, it called out to me and when I realized the love was returned on both sides I chose to do something about it for them. You cannot see how much energy they use to hide those feelings from everyone around them.”

Daniel stepped forward to look at Jack, curious about what the woman said. He knew for himself it was mostly true, he was constantly guarding his words and actions. Jack glanced sideways at Daniel and gave a little affirmative shrug as if to say, ‘eh its not wrong’ though he was still stiff.

“You believe you have the right to meddle in the lives of others, you do not! They must have had reasons to hide the way they felt, correct?” the last word Damnation spit out was directed as SG-1 as a whole.

“Well we are a military unit, its against the rules to fraternize with team members, we would be separated for the safety of the unit as well as the program,” Sam explained.

“I was married to another woman,” Teal’c added quietly.

“I was too,” Daniel stated, surprised when Jack said nothing about Sarah.

“Plus military men are not allowed to be with other man,” Jack finished with the biggest issue they had. Jack still hadn’t released Daniel’s hand and he was grateful for that, needing the comfort the contact freely given though Jack was almost vibrating with whatever he was feeling at the moment. Daniel only knew Jack was feeling uncomfortable and out of his element, that didn’t bode well for either of them.

Jack’s words seemed to enrage Damnation even more, “For the love of Zara! Why must you insist on butting into things that are not your business? You understand this is a punishable offense, this is why you have been unable to be a part of the Vannas populace.”

Daniel took another step forward, definitely away from Jack’s physical act of protection, to which Jack heaved an annoyed sigh but did nothing to stop him thankfully besides keep that death grip on his hand that seemed more like a lifeline than a public display of affection at this point, “Listen, we know that you’re mad at her but we cannot undo what has been done. She’s right, we were using a lot of energy to hide this from each other and we were pretty damn good at it seen as how we were surprised last night when he happened. Another thing is we don’t seem to be capable of going home where many of our issues were born so this anger at her is moot.”

Damnation stared Daniel down but the scientist refused to back down from the fight. Damnation had loosened his grip on Love but not by much, Daniel couldn’t stand to see someone hurting someone else smaller or weaker and Love was both compared to Damnation. He hissed at Daniel, “This is my charge, not yours. Keep out of my business; there is a reason they answer to me! It is my job to kill those who are a danger to our people and to punish them even when they are forgiviable offenses. Could you make that choice for me, for her? What if she were to do what she had done to those who were married and still together? What if she had caused you to break the vows you made to another all for the sake of her mind and concern for you? This is not your fight.”

Daniel stood shocked by his words. He couldn’t imagine being in charge of whether someone needed to die or not and Daniel could see the trauma in Damnation’s eyes. He’d made this decision for many people before. “She doesn’t deserve to die for this, Vane.”

The use of his name made Damnation pause and released Love who rubbed her arm where he’d been grabbing her. He turned back to the woman, “Leave them alone. This is not your life and from here on out its their choice what to do with this information and their feelings for one another.”

She nodded, looking a little frightened at how close she’d apparently come to losing her life. She looked at SG-1 as well, “I do apologize for taking your choice away from you.” She left the tent, leaving a still fuming Damnation standing in front of them. He turned that glare on Daniel, who didn’t flinch away from the anger. He’d been facing down Jaffa and System Lords for too long now for this man’s glare to make him back down from what he believed.

“Do not ever question my authority in front of my people ever again or you will be kicked out of the village, on your own with nothing to protect yourself with!” he got real quiet as he stepped into Daniel’s space, crowding him. Daniel still refused to back down even while Jack grumbled at his side, “And do not use my real name in front of them.”

“Don’t threaten him!” Jack barked back, losing his patience while he pushed at Damnation’s chest to keep him away from Daniel and having to drop Daniel’s hand in the process, which made Daniel a little sad.

Daniel held up a hand again, staying Jack’s protective response and need to protect him. He didn’t want this man to think Daniel was someone he could attack as long as Jack wasn’t around, “I can never understand the position you are in and I don’t want to. That is Jack’s responsibility in our unit, to make the tough decisions. I do understand that you are not in an enviable position but I wanted you to take into account that we understand that she was trying to help even though she didn’t ask us. Please understand that I have no intention of threatening your position but I cannot abide women being harmed by someone bigger and stronger and neither can the rest of the team.”

Damnation took a step back from Daniel and the younger man took a deep breath possibly to calm himself down in the face of Daniel’s calming words, “It does not matter who you are or what you think you can handle. The Infidels must be contained and ruled with an iron fist other wise they will use their abilities to hurt other people as Love did to you. You may not understand it but you have to accept it. And remember this one thing, physical strength or weakness does not determine the victor in our world.”

Daniel nodded in understanding and Damnation relaxed more completely, to become the young fun loving, if not a little creepy, man they met the day before.

“Now that everything is settled would you like to see why you cannot just wander around this world without back up?” Damnation asked.

Daniel stepped back so Jack was standing at the lead of their team. Sam and Teal’c were standing off to the other side of Jack, holding hands. Daniel stood slightly behind Jack on his other side and Jack looked over to him, his eyes full of concern but still that same intensity that he woke up with. He reached over and pulled Daniel’s hand into his grip and pulled the younger man so he was standing even with the Colonel. It was a blatant message that they were a couple now and the same rules no longer applied to them.

“Can we have our weapons?” Jack asked as he turned back towards Damnation, hope evident in his tone.

Damnation grinned, “You are a one track minded kind of guy.”

Jack shrugged, “Well?”

“We have some weapons for you to carry, anything we run into will not be harmed by those weapons you carried anyway. The monsters have hardened hides almost over their whole body and it takes close combat to hurt them.”

Jack nodded finally, “Let’s get this over with, the more information we get about this place the better off we are right?” he asked Daniel. Daniel stared at him in shock before nodding.

Damnation left them to take care of morning rituals and get some food to eat. They were served much the same fare as the night before and Daniel sat on his cot in front of Jack as they ate. “Why were you so upset when Love and Damnation were talking? You got all tense, almost vibrated out of your skin kind of tense.”

Jack shrugged but said nothing as he shoved a chunk of bread in his mouth.

Daniel frowned but shook his head, “No Jack, what happened?”

“Love,” Jack whispered.

“Yes, she’s the one who showed us what we really felt for each other.”

Jack shook his head, “No not only did she show us, she took away my right to tell you when I was ready. I feel so much for you Danny but I wasn’t ready to use those words yet.”

Daniel watched his Colonel stare down at his plate as his leg jiggled a little. Daniel hadn’t even thought about the fact that Jack hadn’t said the words, his actions had said loud and clear what Jack was willing to do to show Daniel how he felt and that was proof enough for the archeologist. The words were just another noise in the grand scheme of things, something that Daniel hadn’t truly needed but Jack was worried. He was scared about this.

“Jack, I don’t need the words. I just want what you can freely give. You tell me when you can.”

The Colonel moved the plate off his lap and moved the one Daniel was holding and he pressed his hands into Daniel’s waist and dragged him between his legs. Daniel smiled as Jack pressed a hand into his neck and brought their lips together in a gentle caress that went on for several minutes before Jack moved back a little and whispered, “Thank you Danny.”

Daniel shrugged then pressed a quick kiss to the corner of Jack’s mouth and reached down to shove some more food in Jack’s moth playfully, making the Colonel smile around the mouthful before Daniel resettled and they both went back to eating.

They all reconvened an hour later. SG-1 standing and looking at four men, one being Damnation and the other three were apparently their guards for the little jaunt they were about to embark on.

“Jack, Sam, Teal’c and Daniel; these are my lieutenants Assassin, Wizard and Phynix. They are going to help protect you while we are traveling outside of the shield.” All of the men were young, mid twenties maybe, just like Damnation. Assassin was tan with dark hair, pulled back into a ponytail and dark brown eyes that spoke of hard times in fact they all had that look. Wizard was blonde and blue eyed and they all shared a similar swimmers build. Phynix was a little strange, he was tan like the others and he had dark coloring that was becoming but he was covered in tattoos of phoenix birds all over his neck and arms. They were flying or falling, turning to dust and rising from the ashes over and over again.

“Our jailers?” Jack asked Damnation while Daniel shook his head; if Jack was determined to be an ass to these people there was really nothing Daniel could do to stop him.

Damnation smiled in return, nodding in answer, “Sure Jack, and you are with me. Assassin takes Daniel, Wizard and Sam and Phynix with Teal’c.”

They all moved to stand closer to their charges, Daniel stood next to Jack and Sam next to Teal’c. Jack reached out to take Daniel’s hand just as Damnation handed out blades. They walked to the forest side of town and waited a minute before there was a physical snap of power that Daniel could feel in his bones and they walked through where the shield normally was.

They took a leisurely stroll through the woods, Daniel stayed with Jack and every now and then their hands would brush against each other but they didn’t hold hands since Jack was very concerned about having his hands free in case of some sort of attack.

Daniel loved that he could get away with touching Jack every once in a while and the night before had been everything he could have imagined. He couldn’t wait to spend some more time with his new lover and discover what else they could do to each other and with each other though he was still concerned about the possibility of Jack’s heterosexuality rising up to bite this thing in the butt and ending it before it really started but it hadn’t so far.

They had been walking for about an hour, making good distance away from the campsite when Damnation motioned for them to stop. Jack took a step forward so he was standing just a little bit in front of Daniel as he looked around, “What’s up boss?”

Damnation glanced at him then motioned for them to look up. All of SG-1 looked up and Daniel couldn’t tell what they were supposed to be seeing in the thick foliage. Then his eyes got used to the dim light that filtered through the trees. It was a creature of some kind, clearly something created by man who had decided to play God but had not done well. It had the head of a lion, the body of a lizard and the tail of a scorpion. It jumped to the ground and all of SG-1 moved back away from it quickly. The Infidels as Damnation called them, laughed at their reaction. Assassin stepped forward, right in front of Daniel as the creature lunged. Then the freak of nature just stopped and leaned down like it was being forced into the ground by gravity. Assassin was apparently doing something to it. Daniel stepped forward to get a better look at the creature, curiosity winning him over.

“Danny,” Jack warned him gently.

“I just want to see it more closely,” Daniel responded.

“Let him be, Jack, Assassin has the creature. Let your scientists have a closer look.” Damnation’s words clearly did nothing to alleviate Jack’s worry but Daniel didn’t stop and Sam stepped away from her guard and Teal’c as well.

“The skin is thick and its strange that the DNA from obvious different sources. How did they make a creature like this?”

Damnation shrugged as the creature fought Assassin’s hold, “Zarcorp’s scientists found a way to merge DNA to create these creatures which they call ConjoCrea. They are specifically engineered to attack during the nighttime hours and they target Vannas. They are hunters of the night for Zarcorp, the Bounty Hunters are their day partners, they kidnap any Vannas they find to be studied and tortured for information but for the most part the creatures are just used to kill any stragglers who happen to be out at night. Due to the fact that Infidels live outside the protective barriers of the island, we are trained to fight and kill the beast but there seems to be an ever growing number of them in the forest.”

“How many are there?” Jack asked, shifting Daniel’s attention to his partner for a moment before he turned his eyes back to the creature on the ground.

The shrug was in Damnation’s tone, “Not some many that we will be overrun but enough that keeps us busy. They leave the village alone for now because of the shields but every once in a while they test it.”

“So this is show and tell?” Jack asked. Daniel was listening to the conversation as he moved around the creature; staying away from the deadly tail and watched as it fought the magical hold that Assassin was trapping it under. It was an interesting creature to look at. He wondered about the ethics of the person or people who were willing to create monsters like this for the sole purpose of killing people you didn’t understand. Daniel looked over to Sam and saw the scientific twinkle in her eyes and wondered if Sam’s curiosity was the kind that could turn into the manic need that made these creatures.

“Hold it Assassin,” Damnation warned suddenly. Daniel looked back as the other man struggled and then somehow everything moved too fast for him to act. The creature reached out a heavy paw as Daniel tried to move out of range and Jack shouted from behind him but he wasn’t quick enough. Daniel was slammed to the ground as the Infidels pulled weapons and tried to get to Daniel but then the heavy foot slammed down on his chest and the breath whooshed out of his body with a moan of pain. Jack was struggling against Damnation who was holding him back as Assassin tried to reclaim control on the ConjoCrea on top of him.

Then the claw leaned into Daniel’s chest until he felt a snap in his chest and grunted in pain before the pressure was removed and he faded into painful unconsciousness.


	5. Kidnapping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel gets hurt, Jack gets taken, just another crazy day in the world of SG-1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated 9/28/2015

Jack watched and pushed at Damnation’s hold on him as Daniel stopped moving. He heard the sickening crack and he felt when his brain whited out and he just wanted to kill something or someone to protect the other man, Jack hadn’t known he could feel like that, not after Charlie. “Danny!” he shouted as Damnation struggled to hold onto him while Assassin finally shifted the creature off of Daniel’s chest. Jack’s struggles to be released doubled when Daniel didn’t move after it was gone. Jack didn’t know what he was going to do if Daniel didn’t open his eyes, didn’t move and breathe. He didn’t think he could handle losing Daniel so soon after realizing what they could have together.

Finally Damnation just couldn’t hold onto Jack any longer and he rushed forward and slid down next to Daniel’s still body. He pressed a gentle hand to Daniel’s stomach and he felt the stuttering breath of his friend—lover. He breathed a momentary sigh of relief because Daniel was still with him. “Come on Danny,” he whispered and pressed his fingers into Daniel’s pulse point to find the rhythm sluggish and he pressed his other hand into the side of Daniel’s cheek. “I need you to open your eyes for me Danny, please,” he whispered. Then Damnation was next to him, pressing a hand into Daniel’s stomach gently enough to make contact but not enough to cause undo pain.

“Come on Daniel,” Jack said again, using his Colonel voice, not that Daniel ever listened Jack thought and a hysterical laugh slipped from his mouth. Sam appeared in his vision on Daniel’s other side, touching his shoulder. He ignored her as he tried to coax Daniel into waking up. He could feel Daniel’s light breath against his face as he leaned down but there was a slight gurgle to it, like there was internal bleeding, he wouldn’t know until they got some help and Daniel opened his eyes.

Damnation knelt down across from him, “Jack, there are healers back in the village but I need to take him back now! I can get him back in two seconds and you can follow, by the time you get there he is going to be just fine.”

Jack nodded, understanding that Daniel’s life may hang in the balance and he would have to trust someone else with that life if he wanted it to continue. He leaned down and kissed Daniel’s forehead gently, noticing as a trickle of blood seeped out of the archeologist’s lips then Damnation picked him up and they were gone, Damnation moving more quickly than anyone Jack had ever seen, just another dose of crazy in the place though a pretty low dose compared to what they had seen.

Jack watched them go long after they weren’t visible anymore in the distance of the surrounding trees and Sam pulled him to his feet. Jack didn’t know what he was going to do if Daniel died, he didn’t want to give up what they had before they had a real chance to discover what it could be. He was never going to have enough time with Daniel. Jack wanted the rest of forever and he was going to do everything in his power to get that.

“Let us return to the camp,” Assassin said.

Jack glared at the man, “You said you had the creature! Did you lie? Were you just so cocky about your abilities that you let Daniel get hurt rather than look weak!” he snapped at the man.

Assassin smiled and Jack took several steps forward and punched him across the jaw, as the other man’s head snapped back the other guards moved in to keep the fight from continuing. Jack had no misunderstandings about the way a fight here would stack up, he had no powers besides the strength of his fists and his tenacity and cleverness, they would not be enough. Assassin kept smiling at Jack, which made the Colonel want to punch him again though Teal’c had one big hand pressed into his chest, keeping him from attacking again.

“Stay away from Daniel,” Jack demanded as he pushed away from Teal’c and turned back towards camp. He understood what happened was an accident but after everything they’d seen with Damnation’s behavior as well as Lust, Desire and Love, Jack understood in some ways why these people were treated as prisoners with Damnation as the warden. They were callous and cruel, they didn’t see what they did as wrong and Jack couldn’t trust any of them, not really. And Daniel, Jack didn’t trust anyone with his archeologist.

Sam moved to walk next to Jack while Teal’c moved to stand on Jack’s other side, keeping him effectively boxed in and away from the others in their little troop and though Assassin hadn’t stopped smiling, he was staying away from Jack. Then he felt the feather light touch of Sam’s fingers on his arm and he nodded in understanding, they all needed to stay on an even keel to get through this, and they would.

The slightly smaller and very quiet group had only been walking for about ten minutes when three men walked out of the woods and into their path. They were all wearing dark blue pants, what looked like combat boots with a buttoned shirt with a vest over it which reminded Jack a lot of what they usually wore through the gate. They were also wearing slightly tinted glasses and what was known as a beanie in their time, just a skull cap covering their hair and making them look like stupid hoodlums, especially since they were carrying what looked like Tasers.

“What have we here?” one of them asked. Jack gripped the short blade in his hand, it wasn’t a gun but at least he had something to defend himself with and he knew plenty of ways to kill a man in close combat with or without a weapon. Jack had never stopped to be grateful for those skills but he was right now, then he wondered what the Vannas were going to do about that.

“Bounty Hunters,” Assassin groaned turned to Wizard and nodded.

Without any warning; Wizard set one of the men on fire, literal fire, burning him quickly as he cried out in pain. Jack was shocked by the severity of Wizard’s actions. He had no reason, no understanding of what they were doing here, what the hunters were guilty of doing to deserve such harsh treatment but then again, he didn’t know enough about this world to hold them in contempt either. Then as the first man fell and Wizard attempted the same trick on the second man, something stopped the attack though Jack didn’t understand what changed before Assassin turned to Phynix. He lifted his hand and slowly made his hand into a fist, squeezing the air from the second man but before he could finish of the second of their foes, something shifted when Jack heard a popping sound then all of a sudden their powers weren’t helping anymore.

Hand to hand came next and this is where Jack and the others stepped in. Teal’c used the brute force of his size to keep one of the men away from Sam and the other was fighting between the Infidels and Jack though he was clearly quick enough to keep slightly out of a death strike. Jack was focused on the fighter in front of him when there was a dull blow to the back of his head and he slumped to the ground, with the last thought of Daniel in his mind as the world faded into nothing.

He didn’t know how long he was out but when Jack opened his eyes he found himself in a cell. His head felt full of lead and his tongue like it was made of cotton. He sat up and looked at the simple bars in front of him and the man standing on the other side of the cage, fighting off the sudden need to vomit all over the floor. Concussions were something Jack was very knowledgeable about so he also knew he was going to be fine after feeling like crap for a while.

So far, he really hated this place; besides Daniel they’d had nothing but trouble since they got here.

“Hiya, can I get some aspirin please?” Jack requested in his nice-guy voice.

“What’s aspirin?” the man asked with a funny dog-like tilt of his head.

“Never mind,” Jack responded with a snort. “What gives you the right to take me?”

“Zarcorp has every right to take into custody those we suspect of being witches and you were present for the killing of a Hunter,” the guard buffed his nails against his shirt as if none of this really mattered. Jack knew the play; he’d done it lots of times with prisoners or enemies, “This is a crime punishable by a prison sentence but mostly execution. Get comfortable, someone will be here soon to move you.”

The man walked out through the secondary door, his footsteps receding into the hall beyond, leaving Jack in silence as he looked around. He forced his mind to think it through even as the headache pounded in his head and ate at his concentration. Then he focused on the locking mechanism on the bars and smiled at the simplicity of the lock and whispered, “Not if I get out first.”

He pulled a pin out of the lining in his pants, surprised it was still there but then again the Vannas didn’t seem to want to hurt Jack and his crew just tell them how to prepare to live in this world while these humans didn’t know what special ops trained men might be capable of. Jack had always carried lock picking tools hidden somewhere on his person for quite some time now. He slid his hand with the pin around to the lock and started feeling around until he felt the release and suddenly with a quiet click, the cell door swung open in his hand and he snuck out through to the outer door. These people were obviously pretty cocky since they believed that simple cell door was keeping anyone inside. He moved through the small building, stepping into broom closets and side doors to hide from the few people walking down hallways and slipped outside finally. He looked around the small town and wondered how he was going to get back home.

“You know,” someone said and Jack turned to see Lady Zarkina leaning against the wall of the building. She was dressed in pants that looked a lot like dark blue jeans and a simple blouse, again not very dressed up for a woman who held such power over people in this world but from what little Jack had seen from her Zarkina wasn’t like the ‘gods’ and royalty he’d met so far in his lifetime. “I have only known you for a day and a half, I am already being sent like an errand boy to save you.”

Jack shrugged sheepishly, “I didn’t ask you to come here but since you are already here can you get me back to Daniel? With a snap of remembrance, he recalled the sound of something in Daniel’s chest popping under the pressure from the claw of a large beast and lying too still on the ground, hoping Damnation had gotten his friend and lover to some help in time. “Is Daniel okay?”

Zarkina smiled like she knew some big secret and Jack stepped a little closer to her as she spoke, “Love got to you? She has a magnificent power, giving people the truth they would choose to ignore. I would ask you why hide from your feelings but then I did it too, to protect my heart and him.”

Jack glared at her and ignored her mental wanderings, “Is Danny ok?” he asked again.

She nodded, “He sent me here, bossing me around. It was amusing to me, which is good for you both. You four mean so much to each other, it is hard to deny that kind of loyalty and love, and so I am here when I should be home protecting my people from the horrors of Zarcorp.”

Jack frowned at that though he was having a hard time not smiling at the thought of pain addled, surly Daniel bossing this woman around, “He was bossing you around? That doesn’t sound like Daniel.”

Zarkina smiled, “He wanted to be sure you were safe, I told him despite his behavior, I would use the bond between you two to scent out your position. I was not surprised to find you here; it is the closest ZarCorp facility to where you were attacked. If you had been moved to the city then we would have had a much more difficult time retrieving you but then here you are already escaping. I do love a man who can rescue himself.”

Jack looked at her in confusion and then she turned away from him and started walking down the small dirt path that seemed to function as a main street. Jack followed after her quickly since he had no idea where he was or how far away he was from the camp where Daniel was at, “Are you taking me back to Daniel?”

“After my meeting with the locals,” she responded then turned, looked up and winked at something. Jack looked up and saw what Jack could only assume was a camera and hurried after her as well. They walked to the far side of the town and she knocked on the door of a very small cabin. A man opened the door and invited her in. There was another man waiting as well, one with a slim build, brown hair and eyes while the other was more muscular with white blonde hair and blue eyes.

“Jack O’Neill, this Orsen and Pagan. They are leaders of this Zarcorp run military installation.”

“Shouldn’t we be not here then?” Jack asked her, eyebrow raised in question, crossing his arms over his chest and wishing desperately he had a gun to lean his arms on.

“No we are safe here among them, they work for me. Well with me anyway. They are the product of a town that sells its women into prostitution to make babies for Zarranth’s war machine. A couple of months ago, they contacted me to help to free the women and the town from their devastating circumstances. I was able to move them to a safer location but Orsen and Pagan’s men as well as several camps are still answering to Zarcorp. I am here to get an update on their situation.”

Jack nodded and let her get on with her meeting while he thought about Daniel. He didn’t know how to deal with the desperate need to see the other man, to know he was okay. It had been easy to hide all that under the guise of caring about SG-1 but now, on the edge of love and passion, acceptance and so much change he felt as though he couldn’t breathe easily until he had Daniel in his arms again. He didn’t think that Zarkina was lying about Daniel’s condition but he needed to _see_ Daniel to know it was true.

He couldn’t help but tune into the conversation when Akina asked about some of the women who had apparently been sexual slaves and Orsen spoke softly about a few of the newer women who had been saved from the town but later committed suicide because they just didn’t believe in the safety offered by Zarkina and her people. He didn’t understand how the world had gone so wrong that a man like this was in charge, had so much power. He understood politicians and bad men in high places but there had always been protections in place for those helpless to fight back. It seemed as though that were no longer true. He was stuck on that thought for a couple of minutes then the queen reached over and gripped Jack’s shoulder.

“Jack, shall we go?” Zarkina asked finally. He nodded to Orsen and Pagan before she touched his shoulder and in a snap of air, looked around to find them back in the village. Damnation was looking at him, arms crossed over his chest and an annoying smug look on his face for some unfathomable reason.

“Where is Daniel?” he asked immediately.

Damnation grinned at him before he leaned forward and kissed Zarkina on the cheek, “Welcome back My Queen.”

“May I take him?” Zarkina asked Damnation but Jack had a feeling she would just do it anyway. Damnation nodded, making a great demonstration of showing them where to go, bowing low as they passed and the queen just laughed at his antics. It turned out they were walking towards the only solid structure in the village, it was the central building with only tents to surround it. Jack assumed it was where Damnation himself lived since he was the leader of the small camp.

“Anyone who is injured always stays in my guest quarters to heal because the Infidels loathe weakness and have used injuries as excuses to hurt other people in the past. It has become tradition now since the Infidels do not attack each other as much as they used to.”

Lady Zarkina motioned for Jack to stay behind her and out of sight as she walked into the room. Daniel responded immediately. “Where is he? Please tell me you found him!”

Jack breathed a sigh of relief at Daniel’s normal, albeit nervous tone of voice. His breathing gave a slight hiccup like he’d been crying and Jack hated that so much. He started to step forward but Damnation held him back, and then spoke straight into Jack’s mind causing Jack to jump back and away from Damnation but he heard the words nonetheless. “ _She wants to show you how much he loves you.”_

Jack thought about it and found he didn’t need proof earned through scaring Daniel and started struggling away from Damnation for the second time that day only to hear Daniel’s voice and it burned like ice as it passed into his ears, this was possibly the most upset he’d ever heard Daniel, “Get back out there and find him now!”

“What are you going to do to me if I refuse?” Zarkina asked him, her tone haughty and more Queen-like than anything they’d heard thus far from the woman.

Daniel’s voice broke in a sob, his voice muffled when he spoke again as if his hands were pressed over his mouth, “I can’t do anything to you but I just want him back, please?”

Jack finally was able to pull away from Damnation and he wondered if again it was because he’d received some signal that Zarkina was done playing with Daniel’s emotions. Jack rushed into the room and barely had time to register Daniel in the big bed before he took the other man in a tight hug. He could hear Daniel’s surprise intake of air then a sigh of relief and happiness as the younger man hugged him back. “Colonel Jack, you’re here. Thank God.”

“Well now that I’ve had my fun, I forgive you both for your mouths. I love it when people can treat me like a person instead of a queen but I am not your lackey.”

Jack pulled away for a second to nod at the young woman, “We understand, thank you for getting me back to him. Thank you for giving us a new cause as well.”

She nodded and smiled at them before she took Damnation and left the room, the door clicking shut behind them quietly. Jack pulled back to take Daniel’s face in his palms and kissed him gently. He pulled back and looked him over, “Are you okay?”

Daniel nodded, “A healer fixed my rib, everything is a little sore but I’m okay. They have healers here Jack, like the sarcophagus or the Nox. Can you believe it?”

Jack smiled at Daniel’s happy response, “I’m glad you’re okay Danny, I was so worried about you.”

Daniel smiled sweetly, “I know you don’t want to say it, I don’t need you to say it Jack but I love you. I don’t want it to be something I regret never saying and you never knowing. I am going to fight to stay with you for the rest of our lives no matter what kind of relationship we have. I don’t know if you’ll wake up tomorrow or the next day with the realization that you don’t want to be this, even for me, but it won’t matter ever because I love you and I would love you in my life in any way I can get you. I love you Jack.”

Jack listened to his rambling spiel but as the last love you that Daniel whispered skimmed across his skin Jack pressed his fingers over Daniel’s lips to keep him from starting up again which was always a possibility with Daniel and he smiled, “Daniel, shut up.”

Daniel frowned pushing the hand away from his lips even as he wiped away the evidence of his tears, “Don’t be rude Jack.”

The Colonel laughed at that before he leaned forward, their foreheads touching gently, “I love you too Jackson.” He realized after Daniel’s breathing slowed and he heard that devastating crack that not saying the words to Daniel wasn’t going to keep the pain at bay so how could he deny Daniel the truth of how he felt when Daniel was so willing to whisper the words without the assurance to Jack returning his feelings.

Daniel’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, happy ones that Jack was pleased to see after all the sadness he’d seen so far. The scientist pressed his palm into the side of Jack’s neck, pulling him closer as Daniel laid down in the bed. Jack leaned over him and took Daniel’s lips in a long and lingering kiss. Daniel sat up long enough to get his shirt over his head and Jack did the same and in the light of the small room he looked down over Daniel’s chest, noticing the slight pink to the younger man’s chest and figured it was left over from the healing of the wound so he figured he would need to be careful. Jack apparently wouldn’t get a choice in the matter since Daniel took the lead, slipping his tongue back into Jack’s mouth and he groaned happily into the contact. Jack settled on top of his lover and just made out with each other like they were teenagers. He enjoyed the give and take of their lips, tongues and teeth.

Daniel pulled away after a while, “Jack I want more, you up for more?”

Jack pressed the heel of his hand into his staining cock and groaned, “I’m up for you Daniel. Are you sure about this?” Jack husked with a smile, as his teeth nipped at Daniel’s lips. He reached down and pulled the boxers off of Daniel and then grappled to take his boots, pants and underwear off. When their naked skin touched, both men moaned, it was the first time they’d touched each other like this with nothing in the way. Jack started a path down Daniel’s body with his lips, “You are so beautiful Danny.” He couldn’t help when the words drifted from his mouth, couldn’t stop the shudder of pleasure at their close contact.

“My Colonel,” Daniel murmured as Jack made it to the younger man’s erection and licked the tip. This was something he knew about Daniel already, he hit all of the man’s hot spots then Daniel was scrambling to the side of the bed to grab something from the bed side table. Jack looked up in annoyance since it had cause Jack to stop worshiping the man under him when Daniel moved.

Jack’s lover tossed a bottle at him, lube, the older man smiled as he slipped some on his hand and went back to sucking on Daniel’s cock. He rubbed his hands down the crease of Daniel’s sweet ass and wished he could spend a little bit more time worshipping that particular piece of Daniel’s anatomy. Having caught himself staring at the scientist’s butt more than once over the last year or so, when Daniel was walking in front of him on trails or when he was bending over to look at something, or even when he was going on and on about something during a debriefing.

Instead he pushed against the hole he was aiming for, sliding in through the tight ring of muscle until he was a knuckle deep. Daniel grunted and Jack watched his lover as he hollowed his cheeks around Daniel’s cock and forced his soon-to-be lover to focus on the pleasure instead of the intrusion and the painful stretch of first touch it might be causing. Jack slipped another finger in and scissored his digits as Daniel’s muscles within tensed and Jack could feel in Daniel’s body as he got more and more rigid. Jack searched inside of Daniel, trying to up the pleasure before Daniel could say anything and end all this. Jack would stop if that’s what Danny needed to be okay but he knew if he just searched a little longer and there it was. Jack’s fingers rubbed along Daniel’s prostrate and Daniel exploded into Jack’s mouth with a shout as his hips lifted against Jack’s staying hand. He slipped his fingers out of Daniel, moved up his lover’s body as he slicked his dick with more lube then quickly lined himself with Daniel’s hole while he was limp with pleasure. His more than willing partner wrapped a leg around Jack’s hip as he bottomed out and Jack had to stop and think about anything but the feel of Daniel pulsing around him, the hot heat of being hugged tight and he didn’t think he’d ever felt this in his life. He tried not to think of the beautiful man underneath him who was letting him do this to him because if he did, Daniel wasn’t going to come again because it would all be over to quickly.

Jack touched Daniel’s cheek with his clean hand, running his finger down the side of Daniel’s face and up to twirl a bit of his hair, “You okay love?”

Daniel smiled a sweet and tired smile and nodded, “Move Jack please.”

“You sure?”

Daniel tucked his heels into the back of Jack’s legs then pushed into Jack’s body to prove he was fine. Jack groaned at the even deeper contact before he started moving out of his lover’s body and then back in again. He moved his hand down to stroke Daniel’s hardening length again, hoping he could help Daniel to another orgasm since his was coming fast and hard.

“Faster Jack,” Daniel groaned into the side of Jack’s neck.

Jack lost the tight control he was holding onto, setting a punishing pace that turned Daniel on if his cock was any indication. He watched as Daniel’s hands moved up to grip the headboard above them, giving him some leverage as Jack’s hand moved to mimic his movement inside Daniel and leaned down to kiss Daniel as well. “Come with me Danny!” he whispered against his lover’s lips.

Daniel nodded and they both lost it, gripping each other as they came and kept holding on in the aftermath. Jack pulled out of his love gently and settled next to him, Daniel turned to face Jack, leaning in for the older man to kiss him gently. Daniel’s tongue flitted against the seam of Jack’s lips and he kissed the younger man over and over again. He wondered if they had the rest of their lives together would it ever been enough? Jack didn’t think so.

“What you do to me. I honestly didn’t know it could ever be like this, I never hoped. I hope this doesn’t make me an awful human being but I loved Sha’re to the best of my ability, but I think I stayed so I wouldn’t think of you. Not that it worked, there was a little piece of you already in my heart even then. I cared for her, I made love to her and I mourned her more times than I can count but you Jack, with you its so deep and there is a level to it that I could never reach with her.” Daniel stated then whispered into the room, “I love you Colonel.”

Jack loved it so much when Daniel called him that, the military rank turned sexy and sweet when the other said it instead of the snarky insolence he’d heard in the field from the scientist when Jack had constantly tried to bring Daniel to heel. “I doesn’t make you any less of the man I fell for Danny, I loved my wife too and we maybe could have worked things out but we didn’t and what I have had with you for the last couple of years, and especially days was more than I ever had with Sarah because I didn’t know how to love her, I didn’t know how to put her first. I know now though that I love you too, my beautiful Danny and I am never letting go.”

Jack tightened his arms around Daniel’s shoulders to prove his point then he pressed a kiss to Daniel’s cheek, then his chin and his nose watching as Daniel’s skin turned pink with embarrassment but also happiness. Then as Daniel started shifting uncomfortably they separated and Daniel moved to press his back into Jack’s front, pressing close to rub comforting and loving touches into the younger man’s skin. Daniel reached back and pressed a hand into the side of Jack’s neck, the weight a happy link between them for a few moments until he reached down and linked his hand with Jack’s and stalled the gentle caress. “What happened to you?” Daniel finally spoke.

Jack shrugged, it hadn’t been anything worse then he suffered at the hands of the Goa’uld or even as a POW, “I woke up in a cell, broke out and found Lady Zarkina waiting to rescue me. Then we spoke to some of her contacts in the town we were in before we came back here. I wasn’t even there long enough to get yelled at, punched or thrown to my knees, all in all a pretty good day as a prisoner.”

“You escaped?” Daniel asked with a tired snicker, his shoulders shaking with humor.

“Yeah, the cell was easy to get out of, which I don’t get and Lady Zarkina met me outside, right about the time I was wondering if I should spin around in a circle with my eyes closed to pick a direction to walk.”

“You don’t do the damsel thing very well,” Daniel stated, laughing again.

Jack smiled and pressed his lips to Daniel’s shoulder, “That’s your job love.”

Daniel elbowed Jack in the stomach and Jack groaned to make Daniel feel better but they were both smiling about it. They’d been in this time for less than two days and Daniel had already been hurt, something that Jack couldn’t just forget about despite the amazing opportunity offered by the healers here. It made him question his decision for a few moments but he knew when he needed to do something and his partner, his lover had never made those choices for him and he didn’t want to start that now despite that partner being Daniel.

“Danny, I am going to do everything in my power to protect you, you know that right?” Jack finally whispered, taking the plunge and hoping not to find the water frigid and unforgiving.

Daniel snorted, “I can take care of myself sometimes you know but I do know that you would do whatever necessary to keep me alive. What’s wrong Jack?”

“I saw a small fraction of what this company, Zarcorp, is capable of. I think that if we are stuck here, we should help the Vannas people in their conflict with Zarcorp. We should pick Lady Zarkina’s side and ask her what she might need from us.”

Daniel turned in Jack’s arms slowly in defense of his well-loved and undoubtedly sore body, “Is this something you think we should be involved in?”

Jack nodded, thinking about the stories of the women committing suicide because of the world of slavery they had been forced into and that they couldn’t trust the safety that Lady Zarkina had offered them. He thought about the slaves made of Sha’re and Skaara, he thought of the lives ruined and the fight that SG-1 had done everything to win back in their time. He didn’t think they could ignore this fight not when this was their planet, the time difference notwithstanding.

“If I decide to fight, to stand shoulder to shoulder with you in this, you’ll deal?” Daniel asked Jack and to be fair Jack did not just blurt out yes that he would be okay with it. He didn’t like the idea of Daniel being in danger but he was a competent fighter and even if he wasn’t, Daniel as a grown man and he could make his own choices.

He nodded warily, taking a leap of faith.

“Then I trust your decision Jack.”

Jack touched his forehead to Daniel’s again, “I didn’t know you ever did, I sought out your trust and your companionship. To have you say that to me now Danny, you couldn’t know what that does to me.”

Daniel smiled, leaning forward and kissing Jack again and lingered there happily. “Jack you have been our leader for a long time, whether I was in love with you or not. If I disagreed with something you did I told you, did you never wonder about all the times I didn’t fight you? Those were all the times I just trusted that you would get us through no matter what and any time you have a gut reaction to something, you were normally right so if it says we should be involved in the fight then we will be in whatever capacity possible.”

“I promise that I will do everything in my power to never break that trust Danny.”

The younger man smiled, slipping his lips across Jack’s throat and chest gently in apology for the next words that came from his lips, “Don’t make promises you cannot hope to keep. We are different people Jack and sooner or later the honeymoon phase is going to end and we are going to have some pretty spectacular fights like we’ve been having for years.”

Jack grinned happily thinking back to some of the fights they’d had over the years and about the hard on he’d worked hard to hide after a few of them. Any time Daniel had gotten up in his face in the past year had led to Jack finding an empty bathroom so he could work off his frustration with his hand. Daniel’s passion for life and people had always been arousing whether it was shouting or speaking, “Danny, fighting with you is the best foreplay.”

Daniel blushed then laughed, “Are you serious O’Neill? You are one sick puppy.”

Jack chuckled and with a shrug, took Daniel’s lips in a deep kiss. Jack loved this man’s lips, having them pressed against him in any way he could have them. There was nothing hotter than Daniel Jackson he thought as he wrapped his arms around Daniel’s shoulders and pressed his hands into the other man’s back to keep him close. After the worry of watching Daniel getting crunched by that monster then Jack getting kidnapped he was grateful for this moment. Daniel was safe and warm in Jack’s arms and he snuggled closer to the older man. And he was let wondering: what next. He didn’t think there was any reason to believe it would be boring that was for sure.

 

He heard a knock at the door, which woke Jack up who groaned unhappily. Daniel chuckled and laid some gentle kisses along his collarbone to make waking up a little happier. Jack mumbled happily as he spoke to the person outside the door, “What?”

“Real nice Jack,” Daniel mumbled against his lover’s skin.

“Guys, we are moving to another location and you are going to help. So if you are done answer the call of lust then get out here and help us pack up.” Damnation’s words brought both men up into a sitting position, Daniel pressed his hand to his forehead as embarrassment washed over him even as he spoke.

“Yeah, we’ll be out in a minute,” Daniel replied as he forced himself away from all Jack’s tantalizing skin with his lean chest and silver blonde chest hair. Daniel groaned again and pushed off the bed and winced a little at the stretch and burn present but it wasn’t so horrible that it would keep him from functioning. Jack pressed a comforting hand into Daniel’s bare lower back and messaged some of the pain away as Daniel moaned. That lasted for a few minutes before Daniel went to cleaning himself off quickly in the basin filled with water on the table before he started grabbing clothes off the floor.

Daniel watched as Jack took his turn cleaning up a little then they started really getting ready to go. Daniel and Jack laughed as they trade shoes and shirts with each other and found themselves wrapped in a hot embrace, kissing as they dressed. Soon though they were completely dressed and they left the small building for the outdoors once more. They found the village in a flurry of activity. Everything was being moved around, torn down and packed away.

Teal’c and Sam were wandering around with their guards. Wizard and Sam were talking as they dismantled a tent and Teal’c helped Phynix to move various heavy loads to wagons. Damnation came up and took Jack away from Daniel without a word. Daniel watched his lover leave as the older man shrugged at Daniel before he turned to whatever task he would find before him. Assassin came forward and looked over Daniel.

“What?” Daniel snapped, feeling snappish and angry all of a sudden about being separated from Jack. It was hard to ignore the fact that all four members of SG-1 were separated from one another and he didn’t understand. They had had a chance to run and chose not to, and now that Jack was willing to get involved with the fight against Zarcorp, it was hard for him to deal with the fact that he couldn’t work side by side with his partner, instead he would need to work with the cocky idiot that got him pinned under a monster in the woods, and though Daniel understood his need to see and feel and experience anything knew was a part of the problem, it didn’t remove Assassin’s part of the trouble caused.

“You ready for some hard labor, Doc?” Assassin asked.

Daniel glared at him as his annoyance deepened, it seemed much like the military men these people were bound to underestimate his ability to work alongside the rest of them, “I grew up moving heavy artifacts all over Egypt and do the same now, of course I am ready for it.” Of course most of the time he wasn’t moving heavy things right after being injured, rapidly healed then having vigorous sex with a man before moving things but he’d figure it out.

“Why are you so upset?” Assassin asked in confusion.

“I don’t know,” Daniel snapped, “Let’s just work, okay?”

Assassin nodded and they went on their way, Daniel watching Jack as his lover talked and laughed with Damnation. Daniel couldn’t stop himself from wondering why his new lover was suddenly getting along so well with Damnation when only a day before he’d been annoyed at the younger man’s presence. Daniel hated the thoughts as they raced around in his head, confusing him as he tried to get everything done that was asked of him. He did it, maybe if he hadn’t been sore he would have done it faster and maybe if he hadn’t automatically assumed that Jack should top might have helped. He wondered if that would ever change now, he wondered if this was just going to service Jack’s needs and let Daniel worry about some of that same fulfillment on his own. They had jumped in the sack so quickly that it was hard to think it through, any of what had happened and the feelings that were choking him now. Somehow it slipped Daniel’s mind that in some ways manual labor was an activity that Jack lived for, especially when he was concerned or confused about something but all of a sudden Jack’s smiles were a little too happy and there was something about the way they fooled around with each other that had all the hairs on the back of Daniel’s neck rise in fear. So he worked through it as hard as he could, only stop intermittently for drinks of water and to wipe the sweat away from his brow. His new goal was to work himself out of these thoughts but they seemed to have burrowed deeply into his mind and heart and there was suddenly no way out and it was like being stuck under that monster’s claw one more time.

Then as time passed, Daniel would look over at Jack only to find the older man glaring at him and he glared right back. What right did Jack have to be pissed, he was getting all of Daniel no matter what while he could continue to be Daniel’s best buddy and he got a sex buddy in the mix as well. So Daniel turned and started asking Assassin all sorts of questions, about the Infidels and Damnation, about why they were here separated from Lady Zarkina and the rest of their people. He was curious and he was glad for an excuse not to keep looking at Jack’s growing glower.

Then without any reason in Daniel’s opinion Assassin asked gently, “What are you feeling Daniel?”

“What business is it of yours?” Daniel questioned as he helped to pack up another container onto a cart to be moved, these people lived well for their means but everything was easily transportable, something that Daniel could respect from his years with the SGC and on digs.

Assassin placed a hand on Daniel’s arm, “You’re angry with your lover?”

Daniel shrugged, turning to watch as Damnation placed an arm over Jack’s shoulder. Jack laughed a little before glaring over at Daniel again before he pushed Damnation off of him.

“You were manipulated by Love and her posse right?” Assassin asked.

Daniel nodded, kept working even though they were coming to the end of their task so he was making sure everything was stable and adjusted to stay on the cart for the journey.

“Love and her lackeys are gone, they went on ahead to Silver Wolf’s camp, and I think you may be suffering from withdrawals. Damnation told you that Lust and Desire’s powers leak off of them into the air around them well anyone affected would still be dealing with the affects until they left. It would have heightened you desire for Jack while they were here and now that they are gone, it would be like a harsh let down from all that is perfect about your man, it would be as if you only see what could be wrong.”

Daniel frowned, shaking his head before Assassin even finished speaking, “That’s not possible, Damnation told us he would keep a lid on their powers. They haven’t been messing with us since that first night.”

Assassin shook his head, “There is something you must understand about some of our people, Vannas but most especially Infidels. To some, control and manipulation of power is easy as breathing and to others, it is a costly thing that cannot come to them. For that reason some of us will never rejoin the Vannas people, Infidels have some immunity from each other’s abilities, we have to learn to shield ourselves from outward manipulation but the Vannas do not live in such a world where a shield is important to learn. Love can control her gift but Lust and Desire cannot, you are susceptible to their powers and you have been feeling the effects since you got here and it has not ended until a few hours ago when they were removed from camp.”

Daniel thought about the timing of the anger that had surfaced. It couldn’t be a coincidence but then he thought about all those ‘I love yous’ and they all happened while they were being affected by the magic of Love. Daniel knew he loved Jack but did Jack really love him or was it all just the girls messing with him, making Jack feel okay with this sudden shift in character? Daniel’s jealousy wasn’t so alone anymore in his head, it had been joined by fear and the feeling of betrayal, he had betrayed his secret to Jack and now he would never be able to take it back. If Jack really was coming down off of this ‘high’ and decided they were done before they ever had the chance then Daniel would lose him as a friend as well. Daniel knew that Jack didn’t know how to feel about liking Daniel and this was going to give him every excuse to end things with the scientist, and it would leave Daniel alone and with nothing here in this place; no best friend, no confidant, no lover.

“Wow, so the love of my life was a trick from the beginning?” he finally whispered.

The young man gripped Daniel’s shoulder tight enough to cause pain for a moment to force Daniel’s attention on Assassin, “Love cannot make anyone feel something that isn’t already there. Damnation and Love both told you that because we all know it. There have been others in this camp and no one has ever been able to make something from nothing.”

Daniel shook Assassin off of him, “It doesn’t matter. Lets just get this done.”

He went back to work and tried to ignore Jack who was still working with Damnation.


	6. Terms of Endearment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Daniel and fighting, Teal'c and Sam are fighting, what's happening here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For any re-readers out there, this chapter has some revamped or new content, I like it better for sure. Enjoy and please comment if you happen to be re-reading and you wanna tell me about it. 
> 
> Updated: 9/28/2015

“Your lover is worried and you are both angry. Why?” Damnation asked Jack.

Jack had been enjoying some stories about the illustrious queen from the younger man who was not as terrifying when he was just standing next to Jack and carrying out mundane manual labor, when he noticed Daniel’s face and the feelings Jack could clearly read in his features. He didn’t know what to think of the anger and hurt there, only that Daniel was having second thoughts and now they were both screwed because they had sex and there was no coming back from that, “Maybe it was all just a big cosmic joke. Can’t you see he is very close to your lieutenant? I am old and have dodgy knees and a bad attitude. Why would anyone choose me over him?”

Damnation touched Jack’s shoulder, “You have nothing to worry about. Daniel loves you, only you.”

Jack pulled away, “You can’t really know that.”

“Yes I can, I have the ability to see into the hearts of people. It helps to keep my people and me alive to know their intentions. His only intentions is to protect and love you for the rest of your life whether you live here in this time or get back to your own.” Damnation stared at Jack, “You are feeling unsure about your love for each other?”

Jack nodded; he honestly had no idea all of a sudden why Daniel could ever love him. There was no logic to it at all, he knew he loved Daniel but he didn’t truly believe anymore that the younger man felt it in return. He didn’t understand why he’d laid it all out on the line, now presently assured that this would end badly for him. He hadn’t lied when he told Daniel he loved him, but maybe if he hadn’t said the words he wouldn’t feel so exposed about all this right now.

“Jack, it is not because you do not love each other, it is because Lust and Desire are no longer here. You are suffering what we call a withdrawal from their presence. Do not allow something you cannot control, something that is merely a chemical reaction in your body make you believe that you do not belong together. I should have known that because you both were so affected by them that of course separating you from them would also cause a response, I hope you can understand the miscommunication as we have not had others here who could be affected for a long time. Infidels build immunities against these kinds of free floating powers.”

Jack nodded but had a hard time believing anything Damnation was saying. He continued working while the depression and anger settled into his heart and mind. This was over and he had nothing to offer to Daniel to make him stay.

When Damnation called a stop to the day to eat dinner, everyone was dragging their feet as they assembled around where the meal had been prepared and was now being passed out on simple dishes that would collapse into several bags to go on the last load out of this place. Jack watched Daniel eat his meal with Assassin, while Jack just ate his standing against a nearby tree. When he was done he decided they needed to talk about this now, not wanting to put off the heartache if he didn’t have. Jack had always been a big believer of ripping the god damned band aid off as quickly as possible.

He didn’t really notice when Teal’c dragged Sam away from her guards and helpers as well because he was presently focused on Daniel as he walked over to the younger man and took his hand. Daniel frowned at him but followed when Jack kept tugging on him. They walked far enough away from the crowd and Daniel pulled away from Jack and wrapped his arms around himself in a self-hug. It was always an indication that Daniel was upset.

“What do you want Jack?” he asked quietly, his tone cold and final.

“Did you think that if you didn’t say yes to me when I kissed you that I would mistreat you or hurt you? Is that why you’re leading me on?”

Daniel frowned at him the confusion in his eyes giving Jack the first glimpse of hope he’d had since they left their bed earlier, “Why would I lead you on? I’m in love with you!” Daniel’s voice shifted, cracked as he was speaking so he cleared his throat but said nothing more as he stood there with his arms tightened against his chest as if he was cold and might never be warm again. Jack could relate.

He scoffed, “Why would you love me?”

“I honestly couldn’t tell you right now. You are a cranky son of a bitch most of the time, bossy and insufferable the rest of the time. You’re a fighter and I’m not. I am always the one being a pain in your ass and making you carry out rescue missions and emergency surgeries because I can’t keep my nose out of other people’s business. I don’t think that’s going to change honestly, I don’t think you can really change this much and I don’t know if you can actually be okay with what we did earlier. I know you said you were but it’s too much and now we’re stuck and it’s going to destroy our friendship, everything we’ve worked through to have this tight relationship and I don’t see how that is going to survive this. I don’t want to lose you in my life Jack but I don’t see any alternative after what happened.” Daniel stopped and took a deep calming breath even as Jack stumbled back a step in the face of Daniel’s emotions; they were so large and uncontrollable. Jack didn’t know how the scientist lived with all that in his head and heart sometimes.

Then Daniel continued, keeping his eyes on the ground in between them, “I think you are one of the greatest men I have ever met, you don’t care about yourself in the face of others. You are amazing with children and victims we find and you give hope to so many people, like its candy on Halloween,” Daniel smiled a little, Jack could see his cheeks moving into position of a smile and it was there in his words, “I care so much Jack, and you hurt so much sometimes and yet you keep getting up and keeping giving yourself to others over and over. That’s why I love you.”

Jack sighed and it came out as a little laugh, Daniel did annoy Jack sometimes especially when they were in the field but all that stuff Daniel said after resonated with Jack. It echoed in his mind and heart because he’d always known Daniel was the best guy he’d ever known. “I told you I love you Daniel, do you think I was lying? Am I completely comfortable with the changes, of being gay? No, especially now that we aren’t getting dosed with horniness,” Daniel snickered at that. “But it doesn’t change how I feel about you, how I’ve felt about you for a while. Love didn’t make anything appear in me that wasn’t already there; I reach for you more than I ever do with anyone else in my world. I strive to be the best leader and man I can be because of you, because you stand at my back and support me and argue when you don’t agree with me. I don’t want to lose you as my friend or my partner, I don’t want this to end.”

Daniel shook his head and Jack’s heart thundered under his ribcage as something he’d never even known could be a worst nightmare was coming to pass, “Jack I don’t want this to be uncomfortable for you, I don’t want you to be something you’re not because I selfishly wanted everything I could have with you. I would like for us to both be here because we want to be so maybe we should stop while you can still reclaim what you believe you have lost.”

With that, Daniel turned to walk away from the conversation and this nascent relationship and Jack shook his head, trying to clear the shock and disturbing sense of _Stop him! Stop this from happening!_ Then he was moving forward, not letting Daniel get more than a few yards away from him when he grabbed Daniel’s hand and spun him around. Daniel turned with a glare on his face, trying to tug his hand away from Jack but the Colonel just pulled Daniel into his arms and held him close where he’d always wanted him to be but never imagined it could happen. His heart skipped into a fast rhythm at the thought of letting go, he couldn’t lose Daniel. This man who so got Jack at an elemental level was a pat of him now and always would be so he said that in action because it was impossible for him to say the right words sometimes; he usually left that to Daniel. Jack leaned down just a little to close the distance between his mouth and Daniel’s, letting the passion that hadn’t gone anywhere in the light of the new day take him over. He was about to deepened the kiss when he realized Daniel wasn’t completely with him, wasn’t responding as he had that morning. Jack pulled away and frowned, “What?”

“Are you sure about this Jack? You sure you want to leave behind a lot of the ideas about who you are to be with me? Am I really worth the crisis of self you could be bringing on yourself?”

Jack didn’t pull back at the anger in Daniel’s voice. He kept holding on, terrified that if he let Daniel go again this relationship in its entirety would be over, much to soon in Jack’s opinion. “Daniel Jackson, you are the most sweet, loving, compassionate, genius, pain in the ass man I have ever had the privilege of knowing. If I have to let go of some part of me that I wasn’t so sure about anyway, at least I’ll have you.”

Daniel softened against him but heaved a heavy sigh, “You shouldn’t have to let go of you to have me.”

Jack sighed as well, leaning down and pressed his lips into Daniel’s then his nose and forehead, “Maybe this is a new me, one who gets to have you in his life. Everyone changes and grows when they fall in love, don’t you know that genius man?”

Daniel smiled into Jack’s neck and said nothing for a minute and leaving them in the silence. Jack just waited and waited, Daniel always spoke his mind so right now he was thinking something through or he was just enjoying the closeness as Jack was but sooner or later he would speak if he felt it necessary so when he whispered the words into Jack’s through the Colonel wasn’t too surprised, “So you are really going gay for me?”

“Gay for Daniel, I think I can do that.”

Daniel snickered against Jack’s throat before he pulled back and his beautiful blues eyes locked on Jack’s gaze and the Colonel couldn’t help the smile that stretched across his face as Daniel grinned, “You know in this time and place, gay doesn’t really mean anything we would think it means anymore.”

Jack frowned, “What you mean Danny?”

“I know that flyboys have all these ideas of flamboyant effeminate men when they think of gay men, they think girl’s best gay and shopping and decorating and pride parades but none of those things exist here, not really. We can make up our own rules as we go along, you can still be you but in love with a man. You don’t have to be some social idea of gay to be with me, just be Jack.”

“And you can be you, Danny but in love with me and only me,” Jack stated.

“You’re being very bossy, Colonel Jack.”

“Just being me,” he said with a wink.

Daniel nodded and smiled, “So we’re going to work through anything that comes our way then?”

“Together, like always,” Jack responded. He leaned down and kissed Daniel again, this time the younger man responded quickly and gripped at Jack’s neck and back. Jack grinned against Daniel’s lips and enjoyed the taste of his lover’s lips and the heat that spread through his heart and into every part of his body. He was desperate to keep Daniel in his life and if that meant he had to accept some changes to his person, or the person he believed himself to be through the training of the military then he would do it gladly. He’d always strayed into the territory of not quite straight and narrow when he was younger but his brothers had made sure those ideas never found themselves into actions or opinions and Jack had found the military to reinforce those ideas that he’d found himself believing. Maybe someday soon he would have to deal with the fact that the Jack he was with Daniel was more honest than the one he’d been for most of his life and mostly because Daniel had always accepted him for who he was, no matter what he was doing or how he was acting.

They pulled away from each other when they heard Sam shouting. Daniel and Jack frowned at each other, wondering what the glacially chilled astrophysicist could be so upset about then when they realized that if they were being affected by the withdrawals then so were Teal’c and Sam. They both started jogging across the remnants of camp and found Sam pacing in front of Teal’c who stood with his hands clasped at his back with a slightly less stoic expression on his face, looking desperately to Jack and Daniel as they walked over. Jack immediately turned to the Infidels who had gathered to watch and glared at them, “Get outta here! This isn’t your problem!” he shouted and surprisingly, they listened, leaving the four members of SG-1 alone for the first time that day.

“How can this possibly work Teal’c, with the two of us? You’re always so quiet and I just chatter about all the things, I have got to be annoying but also, I never talk about my feelings. It takes death and dismemberment to make me admit when I feel anything besides excitement about my work. When did I ever have time to fall in love with you when all I ever thought of was work?”

Daniel and Jack shared a look; they’d never ever seen Sam like this, so completely unhinged in her feelings. Jack had always appreciated that about the other scientist, she rarely brought emotions to the table, there were a few times, like with Cassie but most of the time she was as stoic about personal stuff as Jack and Teal’c and Daniel. None of them ever really brought home stuff to work, Jack and Daniel only had a slightly deeper connection because Daniel had lived with him for so long after Abydos. They’d learned a lot about each other in that time.

They had team nights and spent that time together but even there, Sam was less likely to share with the group than Jack was. Then Sam continued, “There is nothing that brings us together, we are so different in a lot of ways and similar in all the ways that is going to make it hard to live with each other. I don’t think I can do this, and not because I don’t love but because I don’t know how to be there for someone else, I don’t know how to be a couple. Not even for you.”

“Samantha,” Teal’c said her name in a soothing tone that Jack was sure he’d never heard from the Jaffa before. “We shall learn in our time together.”

Sam deflated at that, she walked over to him and crumpled into his chest and Jack watched in utter disbelief as the huge warrior hugged their blonde friend, held her close and crooned private words into her hair and the skin of her neck. She quieted after a few minutes and Jack figured now might be a good time to tell them what they were dealing with.

“Guys, Lust and Desire left already.”

Daniel snorted but said nothing and Jack shot a glare at him as Sam and Teal’c turned to frown at the two other men. “What would that matter, O’Neill?” Teal’c asked.

“They were still messing with our emotions, heightening the desire and the happy feelings, when they left we were going through withdrawals which caused us all to question how we really felt also, how the other felt about them. It would have happened in the relationship at some point because it’s a part of the process but it was just supercharged because of the overdose of happy sexy feelings,” Daniel responded and Jack nudged him a little and smiled down at him.

“We got through and so did you,” Jack said as he turned back to Teal’c and Sam.

Teal’c pressed a hand to Sam’s cheek and brought her attention back to him and spoke, “Samantha, I am a man of few words but believe me when I say that I love you very much. We have known each other as warriors on the battle field, where one learns more of their partner than any other place. Trust that we will learn to better ourselves for one another and we will honor each other with every day.”

Sam nodded and she wrapped her arms around Teal’c’s broad shoulders so Daniel and Jack turned to leave them in peace, having said what they needed to say. There was very little to do that afternoon, and Damnation sent the carts and carryalls ahead of the people, leaving some of the Infidels behind as well as SG-1. After a simple meal that evening, the two couples bedded down on sleeping pallets on the ground and watched the stars over head and Jack was left to wonder if the stars were different and the world was different, it couldn’t be so bad that he was different too. With that thought Jack tightened his grip on Daniel who was wrapped around Jack as they attempted to keep each out warm under the slight blanket they were using. The shield was still up for the moment so they could sleep in peace but they were walking away from this campsite first thing in the morning.

“Still love me Jack, without the magic?”

Jack squeezed Daniel again knowing that they were both still nervous without the additive of the magic that had been keeping them on cloud nine. Jack decided this truth between each other was better than the one hundred percent in love and perfect togetherness. They weren’t perfect but they were together and it was real.

“Danny, you are the magic and I love you just as much without the girls here.”

Daniel relaxed into Jack, “Thank god, because I still love you.”

Jack pressed a kiss to Daniel’s head and they both settled in silence, happy in the knowledge that it wasn’t always going to be perfect but they were together.


	7. From Camp to Camp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SG-1 is moving on to a new camp, one step closer to the island where they may be able to settle down in this new world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly new content, added to strengthen the story, Please enjoy!!
> 
> Updated 10/5/2015

The next day Daniel and Jack dragged themselves from their pallet and moaned about the uncomfortable aches and pains of sleeping on the ground after being in a cot the day before. It didn’t take long for Damnation to show up with some food before he gave an obnoxiously sardonic bow and left them alone to eat before they took care of their morning needs in nearby bushes, followed by briskly rubbing themselves in the enchanted pool since they were sweaty and sticky from the labor the day before. Then before they had a chance to relax it was time to leave this place and start walking. This left Jack grumbling and annoyed about walking anywhere without his gun but as the only weapons available for them were some daggers and staffs, the Colonel just finally shrugged and took the available weapons and pointed his dagger at Daniel’s nose, “No touching things out there today Danny.”

Daniel laughed but when the other man stayed completely serious Daniel nodded in understanding but Jack wasn’t letting this go with silent affirmation. He clearly wanted a verbal promise so finally Daniel sighed, “No curiosity here Jack. No touching, no star gazing and no wandering off I swear.”

That seemed to pacify Daniel’s partner so they both started walking. Daniel moved to walk next to him. He knew very little about where they were going, only that a woman named Silver Wolf was in charge of the camp, Daniel wondered for a moment about the name then shrugged it off as they were used to Goa’uld with names like Apophis, Hathor and many Jaffa such as Teal’c and Bratac. Jack on the other hand carried on his own conversation about it for about fifteen minutes.

“I mean really,” He was saying, “What do you call her, Silver? Wolfy? Is it always Silver Wolf, is like Damnation, like a representation of her position?”

“Jack, shut up,” Daniel said after about three more minutes of the postulating and Jack looked at him and they shared a smile, one of the first since they were dosed and it meant something different all of a sudden. Daniel gasped at the easy love he saw in Jack’s eyes, and the companionship they’d always had remained.

Daniel stayed on Jack’s left with Assassin walking just behind them, there to supposedly protect them on the journey. Ever since Daniel’s injury, the young Infidel had taken to following Daniel around and watching him very closely as if he could make amends to Jack and Daniel for what happened. Daniel didn’t really care if he made ‘amends’ for his supposed failure because he knew the kinds of risks he was known to take in the name of curiosity. Daniel wanted to tell the man that with Jack next to him it was useless for him to play guard dog because not even the Colonel was capable of keeping Daniel out of trouble.

Jack either didn’t care about Assassin’s presence or he was just choosing to ignore it, but this morning Daniel had opened his eyes with the knowledge of Jack wanting to be with him floating around in his head, warming him from the inside and there had been no sniping or anger since then. And unless there was a concern about something in the forest, Jack held his long staff in one hand to which he had taken a spare dagger and strung it to the top, and Daniel’s in the other. Daniel appreciated the easy connection between them with no pressure or preconceived ideas of what they were to each other now. They were Just Jack and Daniel like they always had been.

As they got closer to the new camp, Damnation slowed their progress and Daniel wondered if he was reaching out with his mind like it seemed all these magical people were capable of doing, so he looked around Jack to speak to Assassin, “So why this camp?”

“Silver Wolf is Lady Zarkina’s grandmother; she was entrusted with the closest Vannas installation to the Vannas islands. Bounty Hunters do not come this far from the city, they do not normally come to the Infidel camp as they did a few days ago but Damnation believes that Jack’s escape and Zarkina’s involvement in that is going to make them all the more inspired to find out who you are.”

Daniel looked to Jack, “I thought you guys got out of there free and clear?”

Jack nodded, “Yeah I did but Zarkina felt it was necessary to poke the bear while we were escaping. Looked right up at a recording device of some kind and winked at it.”

Damnation chuckled from his position just in front of Jack, “She does that every time she rescues someone. She does it to rile Zarranth and his men. She wants him to understand that his jail cells cannot keep her out or in, and he cannot keep her people if she can get to them.”

“How does she not get caught?” Jack asked.

“She has powers that you have no capacity to understand because you came from a time and place without power,” Damnation shrugged. “She is the most powerful weapon in our arsenal but she is also the one he wants the most, without the Queen to lead us we would falter. There would be a time of unrest and mourning to which he could use to his advantage so when she takes that active roll, it sometimes will make Zarranth do stupid things, to show his next play and then she can advance. The trouble is that this is a game to Zarranth and it is one that he doesn’t have to put himself in danger to play. He allows others to carry out his will. This is a test of cleverness to him as well as a vendetta, he has not outsmarted her yet but it is a game he intends on winning.”

Jack scoffed, “If she’s so important she shouldn’t be taking such risks.”

Daniel laughed quietly at that, thinking of all the times Jack had done what he had to do as their leader with no thought to what it would be like for the rest of them when he was gone, “Like you have never done anything like that have you Jack?”

“Shut it, Jackson,” Jack griped but he smiled as he looked over to his partner, giving Daniel a wink as well.

“So you had to move to protect us?” Daniel asked.

“Yes and no. The trouble with Zarcorp coming closer to our camp is that sooner or later they will find us and the shield will weaken and fail. We do not kill unless we have too; our protective measures keep us safe and more people alive. We come to Silver Wolf’s camp about three times a year before we move on to a new location, and we will be safe there until we can find a new base of operations.”

“And will we continue to travel with your people?” Daniel asked.

Damnation shook his head, “Not necessarily. Lady Zarkina has already made it known that you would be somewhat safer in the Valley with her and also some of the information you carry for your time would be helpful and educational for those on the island. Out here, we are in constant motion to protect ourselves and we spend more time fighting than we do living. Zarkina is coming to talk to you all as soon as we get there.”

It didn’t take them very much longer to arrive and get inside the shield. The woman who stood awaiting their arrival was definitely related to the queen, she had the same elegant grace of a ruler but the compassion of a woman who loved her people. She had grey streaked black hair and a slightly weathered face but she still didn’t seem to be old enough to have a daughter let alone a full-grown granddaughter who just happened to be the queen of a powerful race of people. Damnation stepped forward and embraced the slip of a woman.

“Mother, how are you?” he asked, and Daniel shook his head at the shock those words sent through him. He’d wondered when they first saw Damnation and Zarkina together if they were related but had been too wrapped up in panic to ask at the time.

“You are the uncle of the queen?” Daniel asked him.

Damnation chuckled, pulling away from Silver Wolf. “No, Silver Wolf is just the only woman who has ever been a mother to me.”

“So you aren’t related to Lady Zarkina?” Jack asked for clarity.

Silver Wolf laughed at that, “Vane, you don’t tell people anymore, that’s so sweet.”

“Tell us what?” Jack asked getting annoyed at the intrigue. Daniel wanted to kiss him because there were some things that never changed; Jack had no patience for mystery any kind.

“I am Lady Zarkina’s brother, we have the same father but not the same mother. I have several other siblings if you wish to know,” the man snarked at Daniel. Clearly he didn’t want anyone to know anything personal about him, Daniel held his hand up in surrendered and decided not to ask Damnation anymore personal questions, at least not today.

“Wow, and you don’t tell people that?” Jack asked, clearly not getting the message Damnation was giving with those expressive and angry eyebrows.

“I do not hide it from those closest to my heart but the people I am charged to protect and police do not need to know I have a possible conflict of interest between them and my Queen who is also my beloved sister. Plus it would make me a target, most of her siblings don’t let on that they are related to her, it is just easier.”

“Of course, you don’t live on the protected island and she comes to see you, if the wrong person knew where you were they would know a safe place that she goes to.” Daniel said the words even as he wondered about what it would be like to have family and circumstances dictated that you could not acknowledge or love them in view of the rest of the world.

“That is if I were ever captured,” Damnation laughed at the notion. “I have also had several of my people take a dislike to her rulings and in the past my name has been used in blackmailing scenarios.”

“She would give in to that?” Jack asked, exasperated.

“Of course not because she at every occurrence has contacted me to make sure I was unharmed and then warn me about the possible attacks. Our family is very close despite how separated we are on this planet.”

“You have other siblings?” Daniel asked, braving the possible anger since he seemed to have loosened up a little. It was amazing to see Damnation as Vane, a man with family and loved ones. He was not just the scary and serious leader of the Infidels, a young man capable and ready to kill if he had to.

“I have two full siblings and four siblings from the same father, including Zarkina. Although we lost one about a year ago.”

“Sorry to hear about that,” Daniel responded.

“Enough with the history lesson where people can hear,” Damnation stated. “I am going to let Queen Zarkina know we have arrived. She will probably bring Sir William and Lady Taylor, especially if I beg, right Mother?”

“Only to please you, my son.”

Damnation gave her a quick kiss to the cheek and took off running. Jack and Daniel shared a bemused look before refocusing on the woman in front of them. She spoke as she watched Damnation move towards some of his people, “I know it’s hard to understand, he must wear such a harsh mask in front of his people but sometimes he is just a happy boy who loves his people and family.”

Daniel grinned at Jack who was giving him a strange look, “Actually its not so hard to understand, huh Jack?”

“Sure Danny whatever you say,” Jack said but there was a dull flush to his cheeks. Daniel knew Jack as the sweet lover who would do anything for him but he also knew the hard as nails Colonel who was able to kill if the occasion demanded it.

“I already know that you were all influenced by Love, Lust and Desire. They have been housed with someone who will nullify their powers until you decide if you want to go to the island with my granddaughter. I have tents set up already for you, giving you each some privacy since it will take a little while for Zarkina to arrive. I am sure you would like to rest before meeting with her.”

She led them to two small tents, each couple entering one and dropping their meager belongings inside the flap before Jack flipped Daniel onto their pallet and took Daniel’s mouth in a desperate kiss. Daniel laid shocked for a minute before his hands were pulling Jack’s face tight to his and his body even closer until Jack pulled away for a moment, “Is this okay?” he asked, suddenly ridiculously bashful in the aftermath of such a hot kiss.

Daniel smiled, “Isn’t that my line?”

“Not today Danny,” Jack responded with a grin.

“This is okay,” Daniel whispered as he leaned forward and pressed another kiss into Jack’s open and receptive lips. Jack stayed like that for a long time, pressed warmly into Daniel’s side, their lips trading kisses and air with each other. Jack’s hand slid away from Daniel’s neck and down to press into his chest, just over his quickened heartbeat and he could feel the smile against his lips. It had never been like this for him, the times he’d had sex in the past and honestly there hadn’t been a lot of that, he’d never known it could happen with the care free attitude that Jack seemed to carry around like a second skin. Daniel moved his hand up to the back of Jack’s neck to keep him close, the warmth from Jack’s body keeping him grounded and warm in this place.

After a few more seemingly hour long kisses, wet and soft, Jack pulled back for a second and he looked down at Daniel with eyes brimming with all the emotions Daniel hoped to see someday coming from another human being. “Would it be okay, despite the man love back in the Infidel camp, we stick to some hand jobs for now?” Jack asked.

Daniel didn’t know what to say to that, Jack asking his permission for one thing was weird but then Daniel figured it out, he leaned into Jack’s lips for another kiss, “Whatever you’re okay with Jack, I love you. It’s okay. I am just glad you’re here with me.” Jack was here with him in this moment but he was still the man who’d spent most of his life as a heterosexual man and without the girls to shift his attention away from the drastic change in him, Jack was undoubtedly feeling all sorts of weirdness despite the amazing kisses he was delivering on at the moment.

“Thanks Danny,” Jack whispered into the corner of Daniel’s mouth as he reached down and started flicking off the buttons on Daniel’s shirt, showing off the undershirt beneath. Jack spread open Daniel’s shirt as far at it could go and Jack’s eyes shifted from Daniel’s gaze and down to the dark nipples visible under the shirt and then he was jerking the stretchable fabric aside from his armpit and taking one nipple between his lips and sucking on it. Daniel arched in the sudden aching unexpected pleasure, never realizing it was a direct link between his flat nipples to his cock until that moment when Jack sucked it in deep and he groaned. Then Jack, clearly enjoying the sounds leaned over to give Daniel’s other nipple the same attention and Daniel’s head snapped back into the cot and pressed his skin into Jack’s body, with a hand pressed into the back of Jack’s neck and the other gripping the bedding next to his side. Daniel sank into the sensation of pleasure as Jack opened the fly of his pants then struggled around a little bit before with a grunt had to release Daniel’s nipple and Daniel’s eyes snapped open expecting the worst to see Jack gripping the lube in one hand and pulling his pants down with the other, bringing his hardened penis out to play then the Colonel was leaning down again and reaching out to move Daniel’s glasses off his face, like most days he usually forgot he was wearing them because he’d always had them and without them he wasn’t going to be able to clearly see what Jack was doing but then Jack was close to his face, catching Daniel’s lips in another kiss and Daniel figured distance wasn’t going to be a problem.

Jack moved so he could pull on Daniel’s pants until they were off of one foot and dangling from the other ankle even as he settled between Daniel’s naked and spread thighs then he hand was there at Daniel’s erection and pumping slowly with his hand deliciously warm and wet with lube. Daniel moaned at the sensation and slammed his eyes shut; just want to focus on the pleasure even as Jack’s lips pressed down on his for a small kiss, “Jack,” Daniel whispered his lover’s name gently into the small tent. They could still here the rhythm of the camp just outside the closed flap, someone shouting after a child and the sounds of someone else finding release very close and Daniel pretended he didn’t know who or where it was coming from as Jack pressed another kiss into his neck before he shifted slightly one more time then Jack’s cock was touching his and Jack was jerking them off together, the friction a powerful aphrodisiac, making Daniel moan into the side of Jack’s neck, everything heightened by the fact that he’d never shared something like this with anyone, sharing this moment and the sensations and just trusting that they were going to crash after orgasm but they were going to be together all that stood against the onslaught of change between them. It caused tears to spring to Daniel’s eyes just before the pleasure became too much and there was nothing to stop him from going over the edge and he felt the warmth of his fluids all over his stomach, joined seconds later  by Jack before the Colonel collapsed next to him on the bed.

Then he chuckled and Daniel would be trying to take offense at that but he just found himself joining in with his partner before they both turned and looked at each other. Jack’s smile was still plastered on his face, looking goofy and deliciously sated and Daniel wanted to kiss him but he was still concerned about some possible post coital freak out. Then Jack reached out and grabbed Daniel’s neck with his clean hand and pulled him forward for a quick kiss, then resettled. “No freaking out here Danny, what about you?”

Daniel grinned, “Nope, I’m good. Maybe later.”

Jack chuckled at that, “I gotta say Jackson, sated and loopy look pretty good on you.”

“Yeah, I was thinking goofy and sated as a good look for you as well,” Daniel replied with a cocky wink.

Jack grinned, “Goofy huh? I guess I can handle that. I’m okay here with you Danny; I always have been okay with you. I know you’re worried but I don’t think you have to be, not about that. We’ll figure this out one day at a time, but I’m good here.”

Daniel sniffed back the tears trying to escape from the lids of his eyes and whispered, “Me too,” before they curled around each other and came down from the rush together.


	8. All About You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack offers a future to Daniel but can he really believe in it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also some completely new stuff.
> 
> Updated and extended 10/5/2015

They spent three amazing days with Silver Wolf’s people before Lady Zarkina came to speak to them. The SG-1 team was not bothered by it; they felt for the first time like they were just on some extended weekend trip together. Daniel and Jack spent some of their time with the Infidels training or with Sam and Teal’c but most of their time was spent together. They were figuring out what the new Jack and Daniel was like, with the added status of lovers meant for the.

Jack figured it was the best three days of his life, since Charlie anyway. Day one consisted of Jack deciding that Daniel could no longer ignore his need to learn how to box. It was mostly an exercise of futility and also seemed to double as foreplay after they got caught up with the grappling around on the ground instead of actually boxing. Jack did teach Daniel some hand-to-hand tricks he knew from his Special Forces time and when Daniel succeeded in pinning Jack, grinding his body down and into Jack’s he groaned and looked around to make sure no one was watching before he gripped Daniel close to him and kissed him breathless. Daniel pulled away after a few minutes, when Jack had used the younger man’s distraction to roll him onto his back, putting Jack on top.

“That’s cheating…Jack,” he panted as Jack leaned down and kissed him again. Then Jack took great pleasure in bringing Daniel off right there in the middle of the woods, in view of anyone who might happen by, though their trip back to the tent was uncomfortable for both since Daniel’s pants were sticky and wet from his orgasm and Jack was hard and aching until they ended up in the tent where Daniel spun around and returned the favor.

Jack found pleasure and laughter and happiness in Daniel’s arms, he never once felt the need to explain himself, to deny himself pleasure and had given himself completely over to what he had here in this small tent with his loving archeologist. And the strangest thing was that he knew it had nothing to do with Lust and Desire, he still felt strange and lost sometimes, he didn’t always agree with Daniel but that was just who they were. There was no magical happy pill, this was just happy.

Day two consisted of training with swords with Damnation and Assassin, where Daniel made obscene displays and overtures while holding onto his weapon anytime their trainers were looking elsewhere. Jack groaned when Daniel actually sucked his finger into his mouth, pushed it in and out a few times before using the spit to clean something off the blade of his sword and that was it. Jack stuck his sword into the ground, watched as Damnation and Assassin were sparring, grabbed Daniel’s hand and dragged him back to their tent, shoved the scientist inside who was laughing at his own debauched behavior as Jack pulled the flap shut.

“You think that’s funny? Teasing me like that! It’s really hard to sword fight with a woody,” Jack demanded with a grin of his own.

“I’m pretty sure that’s a requirement for the best of sword fights,” Daniel husked as he walked closer to Jack and pressed his erection into Jack’s body where their cocks pressed against each other, willing and ready for some ‘sword fighting’ but then Daniel was backing away and Jack shivered at the loss of all that body heat pressed up against him.

Daniel laughed, “We don’t have much time Jack, come here.”

Jack started tugging on his clothes, pulling the shirt off over his head while Daniel provocatively laid himself out on their cot, “Then you should probably start taking your clothes off,” Jack stated as he jerked his pants and underwear down and off, even as he struggled to kick off the boots he was wearing, something from the Vannas which was a good thing because combat boots with the laces and high leg were a bitch to take off when he was just trying to get naked enough to fool around with Daniel. His boots were still here in the tent they just weren’t very convenient at the moment.

Finally when he was bare assed and ready he walked over to the bed and pressed down into all the skin that was on display in front of him. He pressed his mouth into Daniel’s in a deep and loving kiss before he pressed his fingers and palms into Daniel’s shoulders and then his chest and followed the valleys and peaks of his muscles, feeling when they twitched, remembering the placement to actually tickle at some point in the future but for now he just worshipped the body that held his soul mate and he knew that was sappy but he didn’t wonder about the gay versus straight thing quite as much, it was be with Daniel and be happy or be without Daniel and be miserable. It didn’t matter to him that they were both men; it didn’t stop him from loving Daniel with every breath he took. It was just the beautiful body housing the soul that Jack wanted to have in his life forever.

“Danny, the way you make me feel,” he whispered into Daniel’s stomach. He knew how to make it last and make it messy but they were supposed to be training right now so quick was the call of the hour. He helped Daniel find his release with his hands and lips and allowed the younger man to return the favor before they cleaned up and redressed and about to leave the tent again when Daniel caught his hand and pulled Jack to a stop.

Jack turned back and smiled over his shoulder at Daniel then turned at the look of awe on Daniel’s face, “Danny?” he questioned gently.

“Is it okay for me to hope for forever?” he asked gently, and there was no sadness or guilt, Daniel had had so many disappointments in his life, Jack knew because he’d wormed all the details out of the man who was happy enough to tell him everything about whatever ancient civilization but when they’d first started out as friends, Daniel had been even more closed mouth than Jack was about his personal life.

Jack pulled Daniel into a tight embrace, “I’m sorry we can’t have forever, no one can but I can give you my word, we have today and as many todays as I can get from you and this world.”

Daniel nodded into Jack’s shoulder, “If we were home and we felt this way, what would we do? Would you have hid forever? Would you have asked me and we could have tried to hide it. I think I’m glad we never left denial land back home because it would have torn us apart.”

“Daniel,” Jack whispered, knowing that his lover had a point but there was something he had to say. He wanted to answer the question honestly, “I would have retired again so I could marry you,” Jack stated easily then jolted out of the happy embrace when Daniel pulled away from him in shock.

“Excuse me?” Daniel asked, “What was that?”

Jack shrugged, he hadn’t really meant to say it but there it was. He’d loved Sarah and he proposed to her, that was what people did when they loved another person. He honestly didn’t feel like it was rushing anything especially after they had a serious conversation the night before about how they’d been practically dating for the past year without admitting it or even really recognizing it. Daniel had come over to his place a lot, they ate out together and Daniel had slept over so many times, his landlord had called to see if he was still alive and paying rent.

Daniel shoved Jack as he laughed it off, “Be serious Jack.”

Jack rolled his eyes and pulled Daniel back into his arms, ignoring the way he held himself so rigidly. “I am being serious Daniel.”

With that Daniel nodded but said nothing else and they rejoined the smirking Damnation and Assassin who put them through their paces quickly and painfully for walking away from training. It left them with barely enough energy to eat before they arrived back at their tent and falling into their cot to fall asleep.

Day three started with some leisurely hand jobs and making out for long moments of blissful happiness, Jack could hear people getting up and going about the start of their day while Daniel cleaned up in the basin of water that was perched on the table off to the side. He used a cloth to scrub his body clean while Jack watched his utilitarian movements and Jack smiled, “You didn’t learn the fastest shower trick from the military so why do you do it?”

Daniel smiled over his shoulder, “I did it so old pervy Colonels couldn’t stare at my junk in the shower.”

Jack laughed at that, throwing his head back at the humor before he responded, “No Daniel I’m serious.”

Daniel nodded before he tossed the dirty rag on the table next to the basin before he turned and started getting dressed as Jack stood up and repeated the quick wash routine, they had no razors so both of them were getting quite hairy after five days without shaving but they were supposed to be receiving something for that later when Lady Zarkina arrived with some things for them from her home. “I learned the fast shower from foster homes, digs all over the world and college as a too young teenager. Foster siblings were always declaring it was their turn and the students in college could be even more cruel than those in high school, by the time I got to digs though it was a habit and out there it was a necessity, not only to preserve water but your time.”

Jack finished scrubbing down with his own wash cloth before slipping into his shorts and pants, something like dark gray slacks, given to him but one of the people here capable of making clothes, they were comfortable and much better than his military issued clothes. Then, still bare chested he walked the two steps over to Daniel and hugged him close from behind, “Bet you were too smart for all those students and the teachers and the foster siblings and whoever else you came across.”

Daniel snorted, “Sure Jack.”

Jack just tightened his hold a little and pressed his lips to the side of Daniel’s neck as the words he blurted out last night came back around and demanded attention. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d said that and though it might be too fast and reckless, he didn’t seem to care. He would have opened his mouth again but he didn’t want Daniel to think he was being flippant about this, because he was deadly serious about this one thing. He was going to keep Daniel Jackson.

So when they were done with their chores of cutting firewood and bringing it around to some of the injured or elderly to which Jack couldn’t really fault someone for asking them to do it, they were basically living among these people for free and he was glad to give back. When they were done, he gripped Daniel’s hand gently in his and turned them back towards the tent, “Will you have lunch with me in private?”

Daniel nodded; they grabbed their containers of stew before walking back and sitting down on the edge of their cot. Jack watched Daniel as the other man watched him, his facial expression shifting from humor, to concern to annoyance in about ten minutes before he finally asked.

“What?”

“I love you Daniel, we have found ourselves blessed to be together and yet we haven’t been together since you got hurt. I think it’s time to see that rectified.”

Daniel continued to frown even as he finished up his stew and put his bowl and utensil down to press his hands together in his lap, “Are you sure Jack?”

Jack nodded once, no need to be desperate about this. It was just his heart and body on the line but Daniel would deny him if he believed for a second that Jack couldn’t get through this. “I want you all the time Danny, it’s like a sickness but I don’t want to be cured, I just want to be with you. You have given me everything by being here with me and I want it to be every aspect of you and me together and never to be parted.”

“Don’t be silly Jack, we have but a short moment together in the grand scheme of things,” Daniel responded and Jack rolled his eyes at the philosophical response, knowing Daniel was just putting him on about this.

“Shut it Jackson,” he whispered and caught Daniel’s laugh between his lips as he leaned forward and kissed the other man. Jack stayed focused on the connection between their lips, their tongues messaging each other, the give and take of their lips as simple as it was pure before Jack started undressing them, taking his time to press Daniel down and stroke him all over, to bring him to the edge for a few moments before he reached over to grab the lube and settled between Daniel’s legs to look down at his lover while Daniel took his glasses off and placed them safely on the side table before he turned to watch Jack.

The Colonel’s hands shook slightly as he unscrewed the top and dipped his fingers into the fluid, before he leaned down and started to prepare Daniel. The man under him squirmed as one hand gripped his cock while the other pressed into his hole gently. He remembered that Daniel had been sensitive and had found pleasure he could find his prostrate again so Jack searched with one finger until Daniel grunted and started panting into the room.

“More Jack,” Daniel demanded and he was at the beck and call of his lover. He couldn’t stop as he pressed against the prostrate once more before he spread some more lube onto his fingers and pressed two digits in instead, he used them to prepare Daniel while his other hand kept stroking Daniel, slow and easy then quick and ruthless, but begging off before Daniel came and before to long Daniel was moaning and demanding more and more so Jack moved between Daniel’s legs and he found his face above Daniel’s straining throat, lapped at the skin there as he lined up his cock and pushed in. He took it slow the fit tight enough to cause Jack some concern except Daniel was still groaning excitedly so Jack just pushed into the hot velvet that was his lover’s body until he bottomed out and he was as close to Daniel as possible. He pressed one hand into the bed next to Daniel’s head, while the other reached down between them and started tugging at Daniel’s penis, hoping to bring him off before he exploded and went into his post coital coma. Daniel’s mouth was open, his neck still stretched out as he groaned into the tent, the sound just as dirty and sexy as the physical act they were enjoying. Jack’s movement picked up pace when Daniel’s breathing hitched and he whispered, “Jack please.”

Two more strokes, inside and out and Daniel was keening into the tent and Jack hoped that whoever could hear knew that from this moment on Daniel Jackson was well and truly loved by Jack O’Neill and he was the one capable of giving the scientist release like that, then Daniel tightened around him and Jack came with a shout barely muffled against Daniel’s neck. Jack was left breathless in the aftermath, pulling out of Daniel’s heaving and flushed body and he got up to grab a cloth to clean them both up before the semen hardened and became uncomfortable, they would need to go bathe anyway, might as well not make it worse, then he laid back down next to Daniel and thought of the words he’d wanted to say all day, hoping in this moment of blissful satiation Daniel would just speak from his heart and not from the fear he was so used to surviving with.

He took one more deep breath then turned to look over at his lover, “Daniel, you love me right?” Jack asked gently.

“Yes Jack, we already talked about this,” Daniel said rolling his eyes.

“Then marry me,” Jack stated.

Daniel looked sharply over at him then grabbed his neck when he tweaked a nerve in the process and Jack winced with empathy as he reached over and soothed the pain away. Then Daniel moved away from Jack, gingerly moving after having just had really good sex. Jack winced again, obviously this wasn’t a good time but now it was out of his mouth and he wasn’t backing down.

“Excuse me?” he demanded.

“You heard me, when people love each other like I love you, they get married. I am here and lucky enough to be so completely in love with you so marry me.”

“Ummm no!” Daniel said fearfully as he jerked his shorts up off the floor and started stepping into them.

“Danny say what?” Jack asked, shock clearly evident. He didn’t expect that to be Daniel’s answer, he’d expected Daniel to ask for time not an immediate answer of ‘no’. They were good together, they always had been and this was just to next step in their relationship, and it wasn’t like Jack felt that way about every man or woman, just Daniel. So this response was just so far out of the realm of what Jack was ready to deal with, if Daniel had to be convinced then Jack could show the other man how good they could be together but if Daniel really didn’t want to stay together then there was no dealing with that. Jack had to know then which one it was.

“I can’t think about this right now Jack,” Daniel responded finally. His voice was small as a reed as he continued pulling on his clothes and Jack got up and started with he pants as Daniel on his boots and left the tent while Jack was left cursing as he tightened the belt on his pants, knowing commando in these pants were going to be far to revealing but he had to catch Daniel. He rushed across the tent to open the flap in time to see Daniel run right into Queen Zarkina. Daniel caught and steadied her before she had a chance to fall and Jack watched as Daniel bowed, bringing Daniel’s ass into Jack’s focus as the other man spoke to the Queen, “Sorry Your Highness.”

“Daniel has something happened? Are you unwell? You look scared.”

“I’m fine,” Jack heard Daniel respond just as he got close enough to call out to Daniel when another man walked up to Daniel and the queen and spoke.

“Can you release my wife, please?" the man spoke, so this was the husband of the Queen, Jack thought even as he stayed focused on Daniel as he let go of Zarkina, clearly concerned he’d just broken all the rules by running into her then daring to keep her standing, Jack thought with a roll of his eyes before he spoke, “Danny, can we please talk about this?” then he grabbed Daniel and tried to pull him close but Daniel just pushed him away, with more strength than usual, the fear and confusion giving the other a boost in strength. Jack wasn’t giving up though because he wasn’t giving up Daniel without a fight. That was what the whole stupid proposal was about in the first place. Even if Daniel never wanted to get married though they were still lovers, partners and friends, he hoped so anyway. Daniel’s gaze was still on the man standing next to the Queen, he had a muscular frame, between Jack and Teal’c and he was about six inches taller than Zarkina, with black hair and brown eyes. He didn’t understand Daniel’s fascination, maybe it was that these two were together and they both were dressed for a barbeque at the park rather than running an entire mini kingdom so he spoke again, “Danny, talk to me!”

“No!” Daniel snapped quietly then shrugged to Zarkina and the other man like he was apologizing for Jack’s behavior.

“Jack will you please tell me what has Daniel so spooked?” Zarkina asked politely though Jack was honestly surprised she had to ask seen as how she usually just reached in and pulled the information straight from his mind.

“I asked him to marry me,” Jack responded with an annoyed sigh that they were out here talking about this instead of back in their tent with some privacy and he was wearing a shirt and underwear would’ve also been nice but here he was chatting with the Queen of the Vannas with barely any clothes on.

Zarkina nodded in understanding though what she understood Jack had no idea then she spoke to Daniel, “I could really use your expertise on the island, Daniel. It would only be for a couple of days but perhaps it could be just what you need.”

“My expertise?” he asked as Jack stared at her.

“No he is not going!” Jack hissed then winced, rubbing the bridge of his nose when Daniel spun around and he wondered how he missed Daniel grabbing his glasses on the way out but the glare on his lover’s face was not lessened in the least with those big round circles between Daniel’s eyes as they bored into Jack’s head.

“You are not the boss of me Jack so stop acting like it.”

Daniel turned back to ask Zarkina something when more words spewed from Jack’s mouth, fear at the thought that Daniel was leaving him and he didn’t think he could handle losing this because Daniel was terrified of commitment or whatever the hell was happening here, he wished he’d never asked Daniel now, “I am your commanding officer!”

Daniel turned around slow as could be; the rage in him was palpable in the air around him as he whispered. “How dare you!” Jack looked downward in shame at that slip of fear and watched as Daniel’s body shifted back towards the Queen then he spoke again, “Yes, I’ll go with you.”

“Danny!” Jack snapped as he looked back up again at his lover who was standing sideways so he could keep an eye on Jack as well as talk to Zarkina.

“Don’t talk to me, Colonel O’Neill.” With that Daniel turned away from Jack and the soldier knew all the hurt was on his face but he couldn’t put it away, Daniel had somehow gotten so deep under his skin there would be no getting him out. Then with a snarky salute to the Queen and King, who didn’t seem to mind Daniel turned and walked back to the tent to pack his extra clothes, his journal and some pens. Jack followed behind him, placing a soft hand on Daniel’s back. The younger man slowed his movements but didn’t stop.

Jack had stuck his foot in his wide open mouth so often already since they go off the bed he didn’t want to again. He stuck with the simple truth, “Danny, I didn’t mean it.”

“Don’t lie Jack, its not an attractive trait,” Daniel responded and moved around Jack with his pack in his hands and started towards Lady Zarkina and her husband. Jack grabbed a shirt and threw it on over his head before he followed again. He was going to keep having this wretched embarrassing conversation until he got to the bottom of what started it in the first place.

“I am not lying, dammit Daniel! I am sorry, once upon a time my rank meant people would listen to me.”

Daniel snorted, “I have never listened to you because of your rank.”

Jack nodded, Daniel had always chosen when to listen because of his own morality and beliefs but when he did follow Jack it was never because of something so predetermined as military rank, “That’s true. Danny, why won’t you marry me?”

Daniel stopped and turned around again, interested in answering now that Jack wasn’t bossing him around like a cadet or a child. “It’s been less than a week Jack. How can it possibly makes sense to you to ask me that, even if I was a woman that would be crazy. Just because we made it through our first fight and were able to find passion and compatibility in bed doesn’t mean I can believe in this being forever. I am scared that you are going to wake up one of these days and realize this means nothing to you, that I mean nothing to you.”

Jack frowned, “I thought we talked about this, Danny. I love you and that doesn’t go away, it hasn’t gone away in over a year since I first started staring at your butt. We were just talking the other night about how we’ve lived together; we have fought together and with each other. We do everything together Daniel, how is that not kind of like dating?”

Daniel smiled a little at that, it was nice to know Jack was capable of saying something right because he was sincerely starting to contemplate taking a vow of silence. He’d always preferred the hands on approach to life anyway.

Daniel heaved a sigh and Jack figured he wasn’t going to like this, “Jack, it’s been days, not years. You can’t guarantee me forever.”

“I didn’t guarantee Sarah forever, or Charlie forever and it didn’t change my love for them either. My love is a constant that you can believe in Danny, if you will only let it.”

Daniel nodded and Jack was pleased to see him thinking it over, his pack hanging from his fingertips and the Queen standing just outside of snooping range though Jack was sure she was anyway, the woman seemed like she had no qualms about getting into other people’s business though as a Queen, possibly it was in the job description.  “Zarkina said it would only a couple days right?”

“Sure,” Jack responded unaware of where this was going.

“Maybe a few days away from you, from this and I could see things a little more clearly. Maybe the separation will make the heart grow fonder or maybe it won’t. I think I need this and honestly I would like to know if I can really be of any use to these people.”

“Danny, you are so much more unique in this world than the rest of us, you speak languages and you make peace treaties happen. You are going to be irreplaceable to them just like you are to me,” Jack said as he stepped forward and reached out to take Daniel’s hand in his gently. He didn’t feel any resistance so he tightened his grip just a little.

“When I come back in a couple days, we can discuss this again.”

Jack gave a wobbly smile, thankful that it wasn’t a ‘no’ and they were breaking up. Daniel leaned forward as he dropped his bag to the ground and pressed his fingertips to Jack’s cheek. Jack leaned into Daniel’s gentle caress and whispered, “You should go then.”

“I will but first I need to do something very important,” Daniel said as he stepped closer and the warmth from his body brushed up against Jack’s chest and warmed him slightly.

“Oh yeah, what’s that?”

“Kiss the man I love,” Daniel whispered fervently. Jack allowed Daniel to set the pace; he opened his mouth when Daniel’s tongue slid along the seam of his mouth in tantalizing seduction. Daniel pressed in as close as he could, while Jack wrapped his arms around Daniel’s lower back to hold him close. Jack didn’t want to let go, even with the possibility that this separation could help Daniel figure something out, it meant after years of being close to Daniel constantly and the last five days even more so, they wouldn’t even be able to communicate. It felt like someone asking politely if they could take his right arm and he was just shrugging and smiling on through the pain of the amputation. So right now, he held him and kissed him until they heard Zarkina saying something in the background and pulled Daniel’s focus from Jack and back on the matter at hand. Daniel whispered into Jack’s cheek, “I don’t worry about me loving you Jack, I am just worried about you loving me.”

Jack nodded, taking Daniel’s face into his hands, “You are going to have to get over it though. There are only so many times I can tell you before it’s up to you to believe me. I love you and want forever with you as soon as you come back and see that I cannot and choose not to live without you.”

Daniel walked away, leaving Jack to watch it happen, stepping up to Zarkina and her husband and saying something though Jack could barely hear it at this distance especially since they were keeping their voices pitched low. Zarkina spoke and Jack was pretty she asked since he could read her lips and almost the expression as she looked from Daniel to Jack then back to Daniel, “Are you sure about this, Daniel?”

Daniel nodded and then Jack watched as the King leaned down and pressed a kiss to the Queen’s head before he gripped Daniel’s shoulder and they were gone. A blink and Daniel wasn’t here anymore, Jack left bereft in the silence and stillness surrounding him despite the people wandering about. He didn’t even notice Zarkina watching him before she too blinked away while he walked back into their tent. He would have to find something to do to break up the monotony of no Daniel for a few days.

Maybe he would actually have the chance to master sword play without Daniel around to make a dirty display of it. He grabbed the rest of his clothes and started changing before he walked back out and headed to where Damnation normally trained during the afternoon and early evening. If Daniel was going to find a purpose here then so was he, this love affair didn’t need to be the only thing holding them together, Jack had wanted to become involved in the struggle between ZarCorp and the Vannas so it was time to learn a little more about that.

With a path set down before him, Jack felt a little lighter already.


	9. Getting to Know Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zarkina and Daniel talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brand New stuff!!!
> 
> Updated 10/5/2015

Daniel followed Lady Zarkina through the town William had brought him to. She had followed soon after Daniel left Jack’s presence. Now they walked through a much larger community than he’d become used to seeing here, this was the island. There were so many similarities not only with the 21st century Earth but also like many of the communities they’d seen throughout the universe though there were a few difference. Much of the food that was being grown and sold at a nearby market were vibrant colors and not what he’d been used to back home, vegetables that looked familiar in size and shape but they were different colors. In the distance he caught sight of a glimmer of gold, trees past the town they were in and he wondered about them. They were not everywhere, almost like a crop of food which would make sense if they were transplants from somewhere else. It was definitely something Daniel had never seen the likes of anywhere else.

“Daniel the main reason I asked you to come here was that I believe that you are the peacemaker of your team, someone perhaps who is trained in the art of compromise and peace treaties?”

Daniel snapped a quick look over to her, “Well yes I am, not formally trained but I have helped to foster many relationships between the people of the USAF and other worlds that we find through the Stargate. Does that mean you were really coming to see me or were you there to discuss SG1 moving here to the island? We were under the impression that you were coming for us.”

“This is true Daniel, you will be brought to the island but after watching the delicious display of drama and confusion between you and your Jack, I wondered if a little break from each other might give you each a chance to remember who you are without the other.”

“Delicious?” Daniel asked with a small smile.

“You cannot possibly understand what it is like when all of your people are on their best behavior all the time around you, unwilling to allow me to truly see them as anything more than a good little person. I do the best I can to let them know I am merely fallible much like them but they have been taught to behave a certain way, you have not been. You feel everything and you choose not to hide it from each other. I know love when I see it Daniel and you have it with Jack.”

Daniel nodded, “Yeah, not really my concern.”

“I know Daniel but you cannot wait for certainty in life, you shall never live if you do.”

“But five days and he proposes marriage?” Daniel returned.

“For some that is all it takes once the veil is lifted from the truth,” Zarkina said sagely, hands pressed together in front of her for a moment as Daniel raised an eyebrow and she couldn’t hold the ‘old wise woman’ routine and burst into peals of laughter. She calmed down enough after a moment to speak again in the face of his silence, “But truly Daniel there will never be a better time than today and now to grab life by the hands and dance. Do you not wish to dance with Jack?”

Daniel smiled a little, thinking of the metaphoric ‘dance’ meaning the rest of their lives but also the literal dancing that he couldn’t imagine because it had never happened except being pressed that close to Jack and feeling all that intense self-assured love directed at him during the intimate exchange of a dance and Daniel couldn’t deny he wanted that too.

“Why didn’t you say all this before we left?” Daniel grumbled with a sneaking grin.

“Because as I have already said, this time is about you and you alone, no matter the outcome of Jack’s question and your response there is still you Daniel.”

“I don’t understand,” Daniel shook his head, feeling like all the Queen’s deep talk was making it hard to understand what she was saying now.

“You, Daniel Jackson, begin and end with or without Jack O’Neill. After being dosed by Love and her lackeys, even after the magic has worn down and wasted away it is sometimes difficult to remember where we begin and end, there is nothing without the other because what Love did was permanent, the barrier between your love and the logic that held it at bay can never be repaired and so the relationship becomes an integral part of who you are. It is why you struggle between all or nothing with him, pulling away when he offers it all because you are struggling against the all-consuming feeling you have for him. It is acceptable to love Jack in such a way but you must remember what you are and who you are. I have just the thing to help with that.”

Daniel nodded and noticed when they stopped in front of a castle. Daniel gaped at the honest-to-god castle in front of him, made with stone exteriors and slatted windows. Though it seemed like it was only three stories high, it covered a roughly estimated quarter of a mile on this side, “Seriously, do you walk around this thing at all? It could take forever, especially if you get lost!”

The Queen laughed, “Thankfully when it was built sections were built into it, the royal family and close friends live in the main section here,” she gestured to the door in front of them. “The throne room and the main dining hall are also located here, though most of the rooms having working cooking areas. There are living areas, in both the left and right sections of the castle, the left side is mostly the families of the staff who live and work in the castle, because it does take a lot of hands to make light work of this place. The right section is for families in need of help. I have rooms open for people in the center as well, which is where I am going to place you for the time you are here.”

Daniel nodded and they walked inside, the large door opening on their approach and he realized that no one was opening it for them. The door was opening on some sort of automated system much like shopping malls and airports, only this was a wood and stone castle though he figured again it was more about magic than technology! Of course the doors were about twelve feet tall so they did not swing open quickly. They walked inside and Daniel looked forward, eyes catching on the central staircase leading up to a second level, then off to the side was another thinner staircase. His gaze kept moving around the space to see off to the left of the foyer was another set of large doors. Lady Zarkina headed straight for the staircase so Daniel followed her lead easily. He hitched his pack more securely on his back and at the top of the stairs Zarkina turned right. She opened the first door into a large living room, complete with kitchen, bathroom with all sorts of unexpected amenities after peeing in the bushes for the past five days. There were also two bedrooms, one on the far side to the right and the other across the room on the left.

“Wow, you want me to stay here? A family of four could live here,” Daniel whispered in awe, no wonder the castle was so large if many of the rooms were like this.

“Actually until you have a more permanent choice, this is where I would like to house you and the rest of your team when we retrieve them from my grandmother’s camp in a few days’ time.”

Daniel moved across the room and pressed into the comfy cushions on the small couch in the center of the room, finding it warm and clean and looked like a great place for a midafternoon nap or possibly a good old fashioned make-out session. He moved on from there, forcing himself to remember what he was here for. Zarkina brought him here to do a job but also to give himself the opportunity to rest and remember himself. Though he couldn’t help but smile thinking about sharing this space with his lover.

“The bedrooms have beds in them so you may choose whichever you prefer though they are not all in the greatest of shape as they have been used here for a long time, easy to keep them clean, not as easy to make them constantly. Though most of my contacts borrow new beds from the city whenever they have the chance and bring them here, so I hope to see some new ones soon enough. The city has much different technology, capable of mass producing items such as beds while we use our powers but also ingenuity and hard work to create something like a good bed.”

Daniel nodded, he would have to delve more deeply into some of the differences and similarities of the Vannas island and the city on the mainland. For now though he dropped his pack on the couch, pulled his journal and several writing utensils before he turned back to the Queen, “So we have a treaty to iron out then?”

“Yes but William is retrieving the leaders who will be discussing the treaty with us now. We have some time before they return and I would like to sit and talk of other things.”

“William is your husband, the King?” Daniel asked as he played with his pen, he hadn’t been introduced before.

“Yes,” Zarkina said and smiled an expression that could easily be compared to sunshine and pure joy without being overly dramatic. She loved the man she was with, “We too were friends before partners and lovers.”

“How long have you been together?” Daniel asked, looking down as he continued to play with the pen in his hand. He wondered for a moment what kind of writing utensils these people used before she answered.

“We have been married for a couple years now but we have known of our connection from the day we were born.”

“You’ve known each other since the day you were born?” Daniel asked, his eyes wide at the news. “I don’t understand how you could possibly know that.”

Zarkina smiled, “Wild isn’t it? It was said by William’s mother that in the moments after we were born, we turned towards one another, knowing the other half of my heart was so close even then. My mother was convinced that I must be married off for an alliance when the time came so William and I attempted to maintain our friendship for a long time, but one day we could not fight it anymore. We ran away from home and got married then we forgot all about it for a time. That is a really long story that you can actually read since my life is apparently an open book, it is in one of the history books here in the library. Right now I want to talk about you.”

“What about me?” Daniel asked, shifting a little under the laser focus of her green eyes, opening and closing his journal only to get sidetracked by one of the passages about a previous mission before her silence finally broke.

“Why do you run from Jack’s love for you?”

Daniel sighed, figuring she wasn’t planning to let this go anytime soon so he might as well answer.

“That would be a correct assumption,” Zarkina replied, reading his mind.

“If you can read my mind than just answer the question yourself,” Daniel snapped, he didn’t like other people playing around in his personal thoughts and feelings.

“Jack loves you, it is clear but I want you to say what made you run, to hear yourself say it and maybe you can learn to let it go.”

“I loved my wife,” Daniel said with a shrug, keeping his eyes on the frayed edges of his well-loved journal and continued before she could nag at him further. “I loved her the best way I knew how; I gave up everything to stay with her. I wanted to learn about the other world we were on but I stayed for her too. I loved her and did what I had to do as a husband and provider but she still died. She was taken and made into a slave by Apophis and Amaunet, I lost her and if it wasn’t for Jack I would have joined her more than once which makes me a goddamned hypocrite because I talked Jack out of killing himself when we first met.”

“So what you feel for Jack is what made you run?”

Daniel took a deep breath, trying to keep the idea of tears in his eyes from becoming real because she was going to make him say it. “I love Jack in a way that makes what I felt for my wife like a young boy’s first crush, something that is meant to burn bright and falter. Despite everything I gave for her, I found myself thinking of home more than once and wishing I could unbury the Stargate and go home.”

“To Jack,” the Queen whispered the words and Daniel shook his head but spoke anyway, the words escaping almost without his consent.

“I would have found my way back to him if it hadn’t been for the information I found, I had started taking long walks, staying away from Sha’re because I didn’t want to fight all the time but I had failed her as a husband, I didn’t love her as I should and I couldn’t give her what she wanted more than anything. I couldn’t give her the one thing that a woman is supposed to do in her world, especially as a chief’s daughter.”

“A child,” Zarkina guessed correctly and he nodded.

“When I returned home with Jack, I was given all sorts of tests and I asked them for a fertility one as well, certain I would learn that it had been my fault. The doctor told me there was nothing wrong and somehow that made it worse, I should have tried harder. I had failed as her husband so we stopped trying after a while. We were still content with one another but it wasn’t like it was anymore.”

“You worry you cannot be what Jack desires or needs?” Zarkina asked, this time not sounding like she knew the answer already, just as if they were friends sitting on the couch and sharing some of their troubles. That kindness and question shattered Daniel’s control and the first tears rolled silently down his cheek as he looked up and found her kind and caring gaze on him once more.

“Yes,” Daniel finally replied and fell forward with a quiet sob into her waiting arms and he stayed there for a few moments, soaking in the warmth of her acceptance and as her fingers slid through his hair Daniel found himself calming again. He was grateful to know it wasn’t because of some supernatural emotional change but because with the truth came clarity and with clarity came action. He knew that if Jack loved him it wasn’t because he checked all the boxes to make Jack happy, Jack wasn’t like that. He was simple and loving, no one had to work to earn his care and somehow Daniel had earned the man’s heart. He didn’t want to fail that.

“You will not fail him, he loves you,” Zarkina whispered into his hair and then she nudged him back and pressed a hand to his cheek, “When I said that you need to know where one of you ends and the other begins it does not negate the truth that lies between you.”

“What truth?” Daniel asked with a sniff as he wiped his face with his sleeve, to which the Queen laughed gently before she spoke again.

“To Jack, you are the missing piece of his heart and Jack is the same for you. You fit with one another in ways that you would have never fit with this Sha’re no matter how hard you tried. I do share my deepest sympathies at the loss of her but you cannot deny yourself the chance to be with your soul mate. If you had remained in your time, you would have either remained close friends for the rest of your life with a sense of longing or you would have opened your eyes to the truth, but that does not change that you would choose to remain at his side in whatever capacity you choose.”

Daniel nodded.

“Trust that this is enough for all the fears and inadequacies born in life, be with each and live without regret.”

Daniel found he couldn’t argue with her, he was going to stay here and learn how he could be helpful to these people but when Jack and he met again, he was going to say yes.


	10. Return to Old Ways

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone takes an unhealthy liking to Daniel on first sight, then again who wouldn't...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated and extended for some awesome politics and treaty talking for Daniel and the Queen.
> 
> 10/5/2015

It wasn’t until the second day on the island when Daniel had inkling there could a problem with him being here and away from Jack, besides just missing him, which he did all the time. Missing Jack had apparently become one of Daniel’s favorite pastimes in the past day and a half. He constantly wished through the first day that he could turn and just say something to Jack about what he was doing. The previous night he discovered he hated sleeping without him, even in a comfortable bed didn’t make up for not having Jack. Besides the annoyance and sadness involved in missing Jack though Daniel had been fine working with Zarkina on the treaty, and it hadn’t crossed his mind that there might be any danger to him while he was here and separated from his paranoid protective partner.

Then when they were breaking for lunch the second day another woman entered the room and walked over to the group that was meeting with Lady Zarkina for the purpose of creating an alliance between the Vannas and a group of people known as the Ilfi. They were a beautiful and willowy race of people with alabaster skin, and light hair and eyes, but this woman was tanned like a lot of the Vannas were, she had light blonde-white hair but her eyes were a light brown that he could have sworn flashed red as soon as she looked in Daniel’s direction. She didn’t stay long before Zarkina walked over and spoke to the Ilfi in charge and the new woman left once more but her eyes caught on Daniel and stayed there for several moments longer than necessary. He didn’t know what she was staring at unless she knew he came from another time. The story of their arrival among the Infidels had been a cause for great curiosity for many of the people here. Daniel shrugged it off, assured of his safety as long as Zarkina was there and he was on official Vannas business. He didn’t have long to even think about it before they were returning to the large round table in a secondary room connected to the throne room. It allowed for greater privacy and they had been sequestered in it for much of the last day and a half.

“You wish to extend your island’s protective barrier but in doing so you would hinder our movements on and off the islands?” the leader Jhaan asked. His partner on this endeavor was a female Ilfi named Lorelei. If Daniel could hazard a guess, he would think they were a married couple, but he understood that this wasn’t the place for a social differences and similarities conversation.

“Lord Jhaan, you know as well as I that there are ways past the barrier for us and once you are among the protected members inside the barrier, you will always be able to return to your home.”

“My Queen Zarkina, that works in the situation of your people, many of whom can cross great distances in a second, my people are adept at the functionality of magic but we do not carry it in ourselves. You come to us for help against Zarcorp but you bring nothing of true value to the table.”

Daniel watched Jhaan as the Ilfi spoke, his hands folded before him on the desk and besides his lips and the slight movement in his shoulders when he breathed, the man was always still. It was disconcerting to Daniel who talked animatedly with his hands and his body, humans were physically expressive and so far he’d seen nothing of the same from this Ilfi, making him wonder how they were going to bridge the gap that stood between them now.

“Must I give the not so gentle reminder that you were allowed to come and settle here on a planet that Vannas claimed as home first, we gave you someplace to exist after the Djakani destroyed your world.”

Jhaan’s forehead creased in a minute frown before it smoothed once more and he tilted his head a fraction of a fraction of a second, both movements so small and quick that if Daniel hadn’t been watching him move for the last two days, he wouldn’t have caught it. “You would fall back on your mother’s ways to achieve your goal or partnership then?” Jhaan asked his tone glacial and even, as if he had no concern about why Zarkina was doing it this way. In fact if Daniel had learned anything about Jhaan, he might be a little impressed with Zarkina’s decision.

“My mother allowed people to come here, partially because she did not want the Djakani to destroy all of the people whom we had once known but also because she knew war would come to our door, it is marching now and you have been safe and happy on your island. No one has come for you because you are on the far side of the island, away from the mainland. You have the best archers and fighters and we need this agreement with you. The only change I am requesting is you allow for speedy communication and travel, having a contingent of your people live here on the island to help us fight while the rest of you are retrieved in the worst circumstances as well as an allowance for my Vannas runners to come to your island as trusted allies. Please Jhaan, you have known my mother and you knew me all through my childhood and this was a promise you made in good standing with the Queen of the Vannas, do you wish to face the discontent and problems while breaching that promise?”

Jhaan turned slightly and Daniel watched as he leaned in close to Lorelei and they shared a few words before turning back and smiled slightly, “It is good to see the Queen standing up and demanding we keep our word, so many creatures these days will falter under our scrutiny. I would wish to allow my people the opportunity to come here, not be forced from their homes on a mandate if that will suffice?”

“Of course Lord Jhaan, Daniel Jackson will write up the particulars about our needs and we will cover it in the morning before you return home,” Lady Zarkina stated before she stood to show the beyond supernaturally weird couple as they moved out of the room with their contingent of guards. The guards had been so silent and still, Daniel had started seeing them as life like statues but as they moved into position around their leaders, they somehow made themselves menacing, as though in movement they were suddenly fulfilling their potential as muscle, something to be wary of.  Zarkina rejoined Daniel at the table, flopping down into the chair right next to Daniel and he smiled at her antics.

“It is very exhausting to be the queen, to uphold that image when I am not with my trusted people.”

“Do a lot of your island neighbors test you like that?” Daniel asked as he started writing some of his thoughts and observations about everything so he wouldn’t forget. He knew what the queen needed him to draw up, it had already been written out with a few changes but to say that Lady Zarkina got what she needed out of the deal was a fair assessment, all she had to do was rule like her mother always had. From the stories he’d heard from Lady Zarkina and Sir William, Queen Zara-Faye sounded like a cold woman.

Zarkina immediately started pulling her hair from the braid and scrubbed her fingers through the strands and she sighed when they were freed as she leaned back and stretched while she answered, “They think I am weak because I have chosen to not enlist their help for these past years since my mother died. I believe in fighting my own battles but Zarcorp is a worldwide company bent on our destruction, I can no longer stand alone.”

As she fell silent Zarkina heaved a sigh and just stayed there flopped over the sides of the chair, one leg bouncing on one side and her shoulder and arm hanging off the other. Having seen much of Zarkina in the last today he took a chance of being a little less stuffy with her, “Can I ask you something?”

Zarkina tilted her head back, her hair a long waterfall reaching out to lap at the floor beneath as she looked at him upside down. She shrugged and nodded.

“Why does Zarranth want to kill you all so badly?”

Zarkina turned around and looked at Daniel softly and sadly, “Why would the Goa’uld desire to keep men and women as slaves in their worlds instead of equals?”

“Because they are parasitic, ego-maniacal creatures who I think enjoy the pain of others.”

“It is not a logical thing then?” she asked and he had a hard time taking this whole thing seriously when she was still staring at him upside down but he answered seriously anyway.

“Maybe to them it is, they believe we are inferior,” Daniel said with a shrug, wondering how she got him off of the actual topic at hand. He was about to recall her wandering attention when she started speaking again and he didn’t want to interrupt her.

“I believe that when the humans survived and came back to the surface, they were so scared, they decided we were the enemy. We are different, and strong. We have abilities that they could never hope to touch or understand or fight. Someone led the charge against my people in the beginning as soon as they had two rocks to throw at us or sticks to stab with but they were too weak and my ancestors would not kill them,” the queen paused and shifted slightly in her seat towards him before she looked down where she was cleaning imaginary dirt from beneath her fingernails. Daniel leaned over a little and pressed a palm into her wrist with fingers wrapped loosely around her limb to give what little comfort he could as she continued.

“I have learned through some of my contacts that when Andrew Zarranth was a little boy his father was killed in front of him by an Infidel but he blames us all, the only good Vannas is a dead or enslaved one in his view of the world. He has every right to think we are possibly a danger based on our abilities alone but instead of seeking peace between our two races of people and some kind of compromise, he turns us into monsters. He has done everything possible to spread rumors and creates victims from his people so we appear always those in the wrong. It does not help our case when the Infidels do what they do, use their powers without control or with intent to harm, it gives Zarranth more weapons against us. It is why Damnation carries such a burden among the people whom he loves the most, second only to his family. Much like any person or being intent on harming another, his reasons are based in a kernel of truth; it gives him power among the humans. He has the words to turn the cities of man against us and he has done so for a long time. He was the power and the numbers to send many men and women to their deaths just to see if he is one step closer to attaining the goal of destroying my people. I won’t let that happen to us or the humans who are scared and do not understand the truth.”

“Lady Zarkina,” Daniel started.

She laughed pleasantly, a surprise after the heavy words and history she shared, he frowned but she did not leave him in suspense, “Please, when we are alone I am Akina, so few people get to see me as only a fallible leader trying to keep her people alive. I trust you will not take advantage of the offer.”

Daniel shook his head and started again, “Akina, I think that you are doing what you have to do. I will see the treaty completed in no time at all.”

“Then you do not believe I was overly harsh and short with Lord Jhaan?” she asked and he could hear a hint of insecurity there and though he wanted to alleviate it, it was easy when he spoke because it was the truth.

“Akina, I think you were kind and loving, trying to give him what he needed but when you saw there was no way around his ideas, which were going to get in the way of your people’s survival, you did what you had to do. Those in leadership must always make the tough choices.”

Akina smiled a little, “Jack?” she questioned.

For a half a second Daniel wanted to look around to see if somehow she’d conjured him to them but knew she hadn’t so contained the silly excited flutter just by hearing his name spoken in conversation, man he had it bad for the Colonel. He shook it off to answer, “Every leader of every unit, command or community must always be making the grand scheme of things decisions, I cannot see the long view, that’s what people like you and Jack are for.”

Akina smiled, “You are truly not like Jack in many ways, much like I am not like William and it seems to work for us, and in the past you have made it work as a unit, yes?”

Daniel nodded a little with a smile, “Jack and I have always had a contentious relationship when it comes to command and one of us having the power to boss the other around. I learned when and how to say what needed to be said, sometimes the hard way while he has learned to hear me when he should and ignore me when the decision cannot be up to me because I don’t see all the outcomes, I only see the cultural and the hopefully good outcome. I see the good in others, it gets me into trouble a lot.”

Akina grinned, “I believe it also gives you great blessings and good friends so I hope you do not lose that no matter what. Possibly that hope can come with some more caution but to lose it would be to lose a piece of your core and I hope you fight to keep it.”

Daniel nodded and smiled before he stood and walked out with a wave over his shoulder. He had a treaty to write up and then the meeting first thing in the morning then he was heading back to Silver Wolf’s camp and Jack. He walked out towards the stairs and stumbled into someone, he looked up about to apologize when he noticed it was the other woman who had been speaking to Jhaan and Lorelei.

“Please forgive me, I wasn’t paying attention,” Daniel said kindly before he stepped around her but she just moved with him to keep him from walking up the stairs. “Please excuse me, I am trying to walk up stairs,” he tried again politely even as his fingers gripped at the edges of his bag nervously while his other slipped to his waist only to belatedly realize he hadn’t been carrying any weapons here in the castle.

She smiled, more teeth than lips in the expression, making her like a feral cat ready to claw out his eyes. She leaned forward, exposing more of her barely concealed cleavage and pressed a finger into Daniel’s cheek and he moved back a step or two.

“Don’t touch me,” he demanded, far more unhinged by this exchanged than he figured he should be but then he had never really liked the way women on a lot of the worlds tended to lay their hands on him without permission.

“Daniel Jackson is what they call you? I like Daniel, it is a strong name. Are you strong Daniel?”

He desperately wanted her to stop saying his name with that purring seduction in her voice, it made him shudder just thinking about what she might be thinking. “Goodbye now,” he declared and quickly moved up and around her, this time she stayed still and Daniel moved up the stairs and into his room. He shut the door with more force than necessary as his heart hammered in his chest. He dropped his bag on the couch and flopped down into it. He wanted to have everything ready before dinner and that meant he was going to put the ridiculous event out of his mind, it wasn’t like she was hurting him. Clearly she’d been attempting some sort of seduction but thankfully he wasn’t interested. She felt wrong to him, dangerous somehow even though she didn’t do anything remotely dangerous in the thirty second exchange. He’d learned a long time ago that his gut instincts were pretty damn good so he also wasn’t going to ignore it, just stay away from her until Zarkina took him back to the camp.

With that decided he started redrafting the changes requested in the treaty. It was a matter of using the correct wording and though Daniel had never had formal training in treaty writing or this kind of thing, he was a very good student of language so he understand the importance of the right word or phrase, and what the wrong word might do. When he was done it was just in time for him to open the door and hand his work to Zarkina, who was standing in the hall with her hand raised to knock. She gave him a smart salute, something she had to have seen Jack do because it was surprisingly well done. He grinned and waved her off; sure he was going to hear back from her if there were any last minute changes, but he was pretty assured of his wording and grasping what was gained through the alliance between the Ilfi and the Vannas.

When there was a knock on the door a few minutes later he walked over and opened it, ready to take the food from whoever was working in the kitchen. After all the work of the treaty writing and actually sitting through the negotiations, he asked for his meals to be sent straight to him in his room unless he was still working. He turned to look across the room and invite the person in since he could smell the delicious scent of cooked meat and the tart scent of fruit but then he looked up and found the woman who stopped him on the stairs again.

“What are you doing here, serving my food to me?” Daniel demanded. He wanted to grab her and throw her out of the room but a couple things stopped him, first was the fact that she was a woman and he didn’t want to hurt her and secondly she was probably magical and completely capable of doing him some damage if he did something so stupid as touch her. Though that did leave him with the added problem that she was setting his food down and coming towards him, a gentle sway to her hips, an enticement if he ever saw one. It was one that had worked for Daniel especially with Sha’re who had never worked hard to be attractive it was just natural to her. Now Daniel felt nothing even when she pressed up close to him, forcing Daniel to take a step back and another and another until he was trapped against a wall. He stood perfectly still when she draped her arms over his shoulders and rubbed her body against his. Daniel reached up and pushed her off as nicely as he could, “Get off of me!” he snapped. “What do you want?”

“I believe that is obvious, I want you Daniel and I always get what I want.”

Daniel frowned and moved away from the wall and her, tried to stay moving so she couldn’t put her hands on him again. “Well you are going to have to find someone who wants you back, I am taken.”

“You are alone, you have been since you arrived here on the island, you stand as a token man among couples, and I have a desire to take you for myself. I always get what I want.”

“Not this time,” Daniel stated again as he kept glancing behind him, looking for anything he could use as a weapon while keeping her in his line of sight. “I am in love with someone else.”

“Perhaps but I do not demand love, you can keep that for your lover, I only want to bind you to me, the life force within you intrigues me, it calls to me which is strange since you are without magic.”

“I don’t care if you think I have a sign on my forehead with your name written under ‘Property of…’, stay the hell away from me!” he shouted even as she moved a step closer, she was getting sick of cat and mouse and Daniel still didn’t have anything real to fight her off with.

“Amada,” she whispered as she rushed him again and pressed Daniel against the far wall. She pressed her hands into his chest and sidestepped his attempts to grab them and push her away again.

“What?” he husked when he realized she said something.

“My name, what you can call me if you do not wish to use ‘Mistress’.”

Daniel shuddered again at her close proximity. Her hands were wandering down his chest, causing a shiver of revulsion in its wake. He brought his hands up the push her off again as he turned his face from her seeking lips. Before he had the chance to push her away again, he felt the tips of her abnormally sharp fingernails dig into his chest, right over his heart and he gasped at the sudden pain. Her nails kept on digging and felt as the small rivulets of blood seeped out around her digits. He groaned as he attempted to push her away but she just reached up and gripped his chin, pulling him back to face her and pressed her mouth forcefully into his. Daniel reared back and struck the back of his head smartly against the wall, adding the shock of more pain to the existing pound of pain in his chest. This was magic somehow, this wasn’t just cuts to bleed from but something more heinous and he felt the fight seep out of him, finding he didn’t have the strength to escape, sliding down the wall to slump on the floor in front of his attacker with no way of fighting, no way getting back to Jack.

 

It only took Jack about twenty minutes after Daniel left with the queen to realize he hated this separation idea. Daniel had been a constant in his life for the last four years or so, even before the weird cravings and desires, they’d been close friends and always someone each of them could talk to. Jack had never promised Daniel he would always understand what he was talking about but that had never truly bothered the scientist, only that someone was willing to let him natter on until he came to some sort of conclusion or answer. The loss of Daniel’s presence after becoming something more than teammates and friends made the separation even more painful.

So Jack did the only thing he could do in these kinds of situations, he found something to distract himself. He decided on a party and one more big show for Daniel on his return, he wanted Daniel to know that this separation was only forcing him to admit he wished he’d told Daniel about how he’d felt a while ago though he also knew that there would have been no real way for them to keep fighting and be together in their time so it was a moot point. For now though it just made Jack figure out that he’d spent enough time hiding from what he wanted, what he loved so he wasn’t going to give up, not yet.

He told Damnation of his plan, who of course told the queen and she loved it. She was all for what he was planning to do so with their help, the few things he wanted to see accomplished would just take some work and speed, he was willing to give the first and the Infidels and Teal’c helping would ensure the second part.

With the details of the surprise to keep him occupied he was surprised when they were coming to the end of the third day and they were getting closer to having everything ready. He grinned as he looked into the tent he shared with Daniel, nodding at the handiwork of him and a couple of the Infidels, the gift was beautiful and he couldn’t wait for Daniel to see it. He just hoped Daniel was going to come back with an open mind about Jack’s second proposal.

He would just have to wait and see.


	11. Under His Skin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel catches the attention of someone else

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extended and Beta'ed on 10-24-2015

Daniel shuddered as he woke up; Jack was going to be pissed. He was also going to demand that Daniel never leave his side again and Daniel didn’t think he would be able to argue against it for a little while at least. He wondered how Amada had gotten him out of the castle without anyone seeing them, it was possible she was capable of teleportation as so many of the Vannas were capable of. Then again Amada didn’t strike Daniel as one of Akina’s people. He wondered if Akina had even had time to notice his absence yet. He knew the treaty was exactly what she was hoping for so there was no reason for the queen to come back to Daniel’s room, which meant it was possibly going to be morning before anyone noticed he was missing.

Daniel took a deep breath and tried to breathe back out as quietly as possible, as he turned his head and tried to get his bearings. He saw dank interior of a cave and when he didn’t immediately see his captor Daniel tried to move, only to find nothing beyond the base of his neck functioning. He took in several panicked breaths through his nose while he attempted to force movement but there was no motor response. Daniel had this terrifying moment of understanding; he was paralyzed and trapped here with someone who wanted to see him at her mercy to use as she wished.

He opened his mouth to scream when suddenly she was next to him, pressing a hand over his mouth while she moved her other hand, which held a blade, and slipped it inside of Daniel’s shirt and used it to rip it down the middle.

“I know you wish to call out for your lover, for help but it would be useless and annoying. We are far from the people who would save you. The paralysis you are feeling is temporary,” Daniel closed his eyes, a tear of relief trickling down the edge of his eye to his hairline as she continued “But it can be permanent if you feel the need to test me further. Is this understood Daniel?”

He nodded a little, using what little motor functions he still had at the moment though the sensation of the back of his head juddering along the platform he was lying on.

“That is my good Daniel, now just let me take care of you,” she whispered as she ripped his shirt the rest of the way off. He frowned when he realized that she had somehow cut through the bottom as well making it easy to rip one side off at a time, then he was shirtless before her gaze and Daniel felt dirty and the tears were pricking at the corner of his eyes. He didn’t want to be here, he literally had the worst experiences with women of a sexual nature anyway. Honestly, Sam and Janet were some of the few who weren’t interested in doing him and they were the only ones he trusted anymore. He didn’t understand why he had such a hard time with the opposite sex, maybe that was one of the reasons he gravitated towards Jack.

For now all he could do was just close his eyes, not wanting to be present in this moment and kind of glad he could barely feel when she touched him. It was almost like an out of body experience and all he had to do was detach and maybe there would some little piece of him not wrecked by this after she was done with him.

“Do you know why I had to have you for myself?” she whispered, leaning down and her breath hissed across the surface of his cheek and down his neck where the sensation lessened and became dull.

“No,” he whispered. “I told you already, I am committed to my lover. Please don’t do this to me.”

“I will touch you if I please,” Amada replied and slapped Daniel gently on the cheek, the sensation heightened by the fact that he couldn’t feel anything else. It was a shining spark of pain in a world of nothing.

“The only way you’ll ever have me is exactly like this, drugged or dead.”

Amada leaned close to Daniel’s face again and he could hear the fearsome smile in her tone even though it shouldn’t have, “Do you understand what I am?”

“A crazy Vannas who is going to get executed for this?” he guessed waspishly, if Zarkina didn’t demand her destruction then Jack would take care of it himself with his bare hands, of that Daniel had no doubt.

“I am not Vannas, I was not born of magic and the only abilities I carry are the ones that I suck out of others and they do not last sadly. I was created by a Zarcorp experiment gone wrong, I was released into the world with a mission. One given by my father,” the word was hissed out in anger, “Zarranth. He wanted me to get to this island and damage as many of the witches as possible. They are not what calls to me now though. You do. I wish to touch and steal the shining heart and soul you carry within you, it is the purest I have ever touched with my magic and it calls just as loudly as the spark of power in others.”

Daniel figured he was frowning up at her in confusion when she shook her head with a superior look on her face, “I feed on magic in others, it is what sustains me but you have nothing like that in your blood stream. If I drink from you, what will I take from you but your beautiful soul? And I wish to know the taste of it.”

Daniel tried to shift his body away as she leaned her hand down into his chest and he could feel the pressure but it was far off and there was no pain as she started whatever she was doing. Then without any warning something snapped and the paralysis slipped away enough for him to feel the pain of what she was doing. He screamed at the sensation of something important was ripped from his chest through her fingertips. He wanted to push her off but there was no energy to move his arms off the pallet he was lying on. He continued to shout at the pain for another moment when she finally breathed in deeply and released him. She was done feeding for now and Daniel was left in a mess of shuddering sobs and the pounding pain resonating in his chest even as the paralysis slithered back into his chest.

He had a hard time even thinking what that pain was like. He’d had panic attacks before, in his early years right after his parents died. He had gone behind his foster parents’ backs and called the hospital and asked what they were only to learn they were not heart attacks and nothing more than something in his mind. That had been the worst thing he’d ever experienced until the Stargate Program taught him something new about physical pain. This pain now was so much like that only about one hundred times higher in intensity. At least he was still alive for now.

Then she stabbed into his skin again with her nails and he fainted from the screeching pain in his chest and mind. He lived in the darkness for a while. He was grateful from the break in the pain but then he snapped back to consciousness and looked around, finding himself still in the cave. Amada was puttering around in the darkness and Daniel tried not to alert her to him being awake again, but it didn’t last very long. She looked over at him once, reaching her hand up and licking one of her fingers before she spoke.

“Just a little bit of your soul, that was what I drank from you and it was much like a fine drink or dessert, it does not sate the need for food but it was quite enjoyable.”

Daniel shuddered though he figured it was mostly mental since he still had the paralytic in his system. His mind was sluggish from the attacks and felt like there was something he was forgetting, like when he would be looking for the right book or his keys and those things were already in his hand. He couldn’t understand the feeling but her words connected the dots for him slowly. A soul wasn’t any one thing that could be easily taken like myths and stories about demon deals and the like, memories were an important aspect of the human ‘soul’ and she was stealing a little bit of that whenever those fingers latched into his chest.

“Submit to being with me and I will not take anymore, I promise,” she crooned gently as she crossed the room to sit down next to him. Daniel tried to move away from her but couldn’t. Daniel tried to shake his head but he couldn’t move. No energy to deny her and no energy to fight her. He wished and wished for Jack to come galloping to the rescue like he had so many times before. He closed his eyes and ignored her as she continued to ask and then demand his submission.

He focused on what Jack looked like when he was wearing dress blues and how long it took for Daniel to hide his erection the last time he’d seen the Colonel in those particular clothes. Jack looked so disarmingly handsome in the jacket and it showed off how well toned he continued to be even at his age. Daniel thought about how it felt to have Jack kissing him and he knew that if he survived this particular case of bad luck, he was going to beg Jack to ask him again so Daniel could just say yes.

Daniel would do anything at this moment just to be back where he was with Jack a few days before. Even before the kidnapping, he’d been desperate to rejoin his lover and give into the request Jack had made on him about a week before. He was still scared but he didn’t ever want to lose Jack because of some stupid fear that Daniel had been carrying since childhood. Those fears were not Jack’s fault and yet the man was paying for them dearly.

“You are going to submit to me,” Amada stated as she slammed her palm down on his chest again. A shout of pain ripped from his lungs before he could cut it off and he passed out again with just Jack’s smiling face on his mind.

 

Jack was sparring with Damnation again, laughing when the other man swiped his feet out from under him and he landed on his butt in the dirt. Teal’c and Sam were standing nearby laughing though it was probably just Sam laughing and Teal’c would be watching with that little smirk on his mouth, only visible to those who knew Teal’c well enough to recognize it. Damnation smiled as he reached down and pulled Jack to his feet so the Colonel used his close proximity to head-butt Damnation before he attacked again, putting Damnation on defense instead of offense. It only gave Jack a slight edge but it was one he was going to use until he was on the ground again. Damnation started towards him again after he shook off the pain of the head-butt then froze, with his staff raised over his head for the strike. Jack frowned, “Damnation? Hello, I was winning here.”

“No you were not,” Damnation said with a smile and a wink even as he pointed over Jack’s shoulder and he turned as well to see Lady Zarkina walking towards them and the look on her face was all he needed to drop his weapon and move quickly towards her.

“What happened? Is he alive? Please tell me he’s alive at least?” he demanded as he came close enough to speak.

The queen held up her hands in surrender, “Jack I do not know what happened. Someone took him from his bedroom within the castle, I went to retrieve him to let him know that the treaty was signed and to bring him back here but he was not there. There was untouched food from the night before and no one had seen him. I searched for him but without any magic in him it is difficult to find him. I came back here to see you; I need your help to find him.”

Jack reached out his hand, palm up and said resolutely, “Then let’s go.”

Zarkina nodded over Jack’s shoulder to Damnation and the others before they blinked and were someplace else. Jack looked around as he removed his hand from the queen’s gentle grasp and found them in a big hall, there were thrones at the front of the room and long tables with benches off to the right. Zarkina started walking towards the tables where her husband was sitting with some other people and she started talking as he rushed to keep up, “I believe that despite the fact that you have no magic, I can tap into your bond with one another and find Daniel that way. Let me introduce you to Ria Holmes and Storm McKenna. Ria has the power to manipulate the connections between soulmates. She is going to help me get a lock on Daniel’s position from it and Storm does not let Ria come anywhere near my schemes without her.” Zarkina winked at the other woman who just raised an eyebrow in a slight show of humor. “Also, Storm is my younger sister. Ria, this is Jack, he is Daniel’s partner.”

Ria nodded to Jack, “I only met Daniel for a moment but he is a good man, I will do what I must to help you find him.”

Jack nodded then Zarkina gestured him to the empty end of the desk and he settled onto the bench. Ria moved down and reached out to take his hand between them on the table while Storm settled to the left of Ria and Zarkina moved to sit across from Storm, next to Jack.

“Please just take a couple of deep breaths, think of all those things that bring you to Daniel, all the things you like about him and pulls you in. Close your eyes and picture the two of you together. It will allow this to work easier since you have no magical connection, just a soul bond.”

Jack did close his eyes, easily bringing the archeologist to mind with his smiling eyes and gentle and loving spirit. Daniel had a brave tenacity that never ended and his morality that caused Jack a whole lot of strife sometimes even though he was glad for it as well. There were times, in the privacy of their friendship for years that Jack had said a quiet thank you to him more than once for always standing for what he believed. He remembered the feel of Daniel’s callused palm wrapping around his, fingers running through his hair and down to his neck. The warmth and comfort Daniel always gave whenever Jack needed it, not when he wanted it sometimes but always when he needed it. He thought of being in bed, not the sex stuff though that was a pleasure far outweighing much of Jack’s experiences thus far, but when Daniel fell asleep in Jack’s arms, when they melded together so easily in sleep.

He remembered the first time they thought Daniel was dead, when that stupid fish face guy made Jack, Sam and Teal’c believe that Daniel had died horribly and they had to leave him behind, it was the first inkling that maybe Jack cared more about his archeologist than he should but he just shoved it down at the time, determined to mourn and move on but finding he was unable to. He couldn’t exist in a world without Daniel in it somewhere. That’s why he’d been so determined to return and find a real answer. He remembered the first time his eyes had skidded to Daniel’s lips, though he’d done nothing and pretended it had been about seeing the blood trickling out there after he’d been struck down on Apophis’ ship. Time and time again, Daniel had found his way under Jack’s crabby and heartless exterior and burrowed into the heart he hid beneath.

“I got it,” Ria said, shocking Jack out of his reverie with a frown. He’d been enjoying memory lane and she just cut him off but he shook off the slight annoyance since she was trying to bring Daniel back to him and looked at her in expectation.

“Well?” he asked after a moment of silence.

Ria turned to Zarkina and answered, “He is located on one of the smaller islands, closest to the mainland. I believe that is the animal preserve?”

Zarkina nodded and stood, reached out and pressed her hand to Ria’s palm and the other hand to Jack’s shoulder for a one-two count then released them before she started walking away. Jack stumbled away from the table, nodding his thanks to the slight woman with the dark curly brown hair. She waved with a sweet smile before Jack took off after Zarkina and grabbed her arm, swinging her around. She looked shocked; surprised that he was touching her but he wasn’t getting left behind not with Daniel out there and needing him.

“It is dangerous where I am traveling; it is where some of our larger mythical creatures call home. I will bring Daniel back here and back in your arms.”

“No, you’re not leaving me here. I have to know he’s okay, I have to be with you.”

Zarkina started to speak but then she simply nodded and grabbed his shoulder. He winced at the tight grip the queen had on his arm and glared at her smirking face, “Please remember whom you are bossing around.”

Jack snorted, “Let’s see your honey get in trouble and then deny yourself the right and choice to go to the rescue without you.”

Zarkina nodded then with another dip in his stomach they were in a forest, “You may have a point but please remember that you do not have a weapon and whoever took Daniel does have some type of ability and probably does have a weapon.”

He watched as she turned and started walking towards a deep cavern in the side of a hill and followed just behind her as he spoke, “If you gave me my weapon back then I would be armed, all the time.”

Zarkina smiled and kept walking when they heard a blood-curdling scream and Jack couldn’t stop himself from jolting forward when he realized it was Daniel though he didn’t think he’d ever heard him make such a sound. Zarkina cursed, saying something that he could barely make out as she took off behind him, her feet barely making any sounds as they came closer to the cave then Jack slammed into something and fell to the ground groaning and wondering when he was going to get used to force shields and all this magic crap. Zarkina was there a second later and forcing Jack to his feet, hissing in his ear, “Magic is not even required to create such a barrier, slow down and make a smart move Jack otherwise you could just cause Daniel more pain.”

Jack shook off the pain, gripping the side of his head as Daniel’s screams continued then fell silent. Zarkina pushed away from Jack, annoyance at his presence and actions written all over her expression as she reached out and pressed her hand against the surface. Jack watched as her hand started shivering, moving too fast in a shuddering motion that hardened the surface of the shield and then with a sound of breaking glass the shield fell. The queen stepped through and they continued, as Daniel stayed quiet while Jack hoped for the best. Zarkina reached over in the darkness and pressed the hilt of a dagger into Jack’s hand and he switched it to his dominant hand before he continued forward.

 They moved as quietly as they could hoping for the element of surprise especially since Zarkina didn’t know what or who took Daniel. He didn’t like the thought that Zarkina was right and he put Daniel in more danger with his rushing in but for now he would follow the queen’s lead—but he didn’t have to like it.

 

The next time he woke up, Daniel could feel the tears burning at the corners of his eyes. He didn’t think he could survive this treatment much longer but there was no way he was going to betray Jack by choice, he would rather become a shell of a man then betray the trust Jack had put in Daniel and this strange new relationship.

He could feel her sitting next to him, though his body was still in that weird place between sensation and numbness; she seemed capable of turning it off to let him feel the pain but not to move and escape. He hated her proximity, hated her hands all over his chest and stomach then when her fingers covered in his blood had found the way up Daniel’s neck and to his lips he’d tried to bite her finger. Amada had laughed even as she smacked him again, this time closer to the eye and temple, sparking a headache that made him think there was going to be a mark on his face for his trouble but he didn’t want any part of her near his mouth. So she resumed her attention on his chest, her lips and tongue were lapping at the blood seeping from the many wounds on his chest, her teeth biting new wounds into unmarred areas down beneath his heart and he grunted, wanting her away from him, wishing he could do something for himself here.

He didn’t want to think about the possibility to her hands stripping him bare, taking what she wanted from him while he was so helpless. He didn’t remember much from the Hathor incident, only that sensation of not being in control of his emotions and actions, he desperately didn’t want this to happen and possibly destroy everything he’d work so hard to have with Jack, trust and loyalty, love and passion. He didn’t want it to be marred by this. His body had run out of tears to be wept though, his eyes stayed glassy and wide. He remembered the lakeside when Jack pressed kisses down his chest and for the first time in way to long, Daniel had felt at peace in his own skin.

“Hey, get away from him!” Jack shouted and Daniel smiled as he listened to the illusion that he was having in his impaired state. He loved the idea that Jack was the last thing he was going to hear before she takes whatever was left in his mind and took control of his body. He just kept staring at the ceiling, couldn’t feel when she was moved away from him in his helpless state then he closed his eyes, ready to sleep as long as he could dream of Jack until there was nothing left of him here to save.

“What did you do to him?” dream Jack demanded of Amada.

“I took what I could from him, seems he has more protection then I originally figured, your work there Queen Zarkina?” Amada muttered and Daniel wondered why the queen was here and a part of his rescue hallucination. He’d only ever needed Jack to save him.

“We’ll talk about that later I think,” Jack snapped, his voice pitched low and muffled as if he was far away then he spoke again and blessedly blunt fingers were touching the side of Daniel’s face as dream Jack whispered, “Danny, come on love, open your eyes for me. I want to see those baby blues.”

Daniel frowned, the sensation was real and it wasn’t Amada’s fingers with those long talon fingernails. He blinked a couple times, trying to find the strength to do more than squint into the darkness of the cave, suddenly awash with more light than he’d seen so far. This daydream was much more realistic than he was used to, with real sounds and sensations than Daniel was hoping for. He slid his eyes open just enough to see Jack’s beloved features and he focused on his partner’s brown eyes. Daniel couldn’t contain the sob that erupted from his lips. It was weak and was made completely of air, no sound but Jack seemed to get the message. The Colonel leaned down and kissed Daniel’s lips gently leaving the archeologist wishing he could reach out and touch his lover.

“Are you here?” Daniel asked desperately forcing the sound up and out of his mouth after all the screaming had worn his throat raw and weak.

“Yes Danny, I’m here to rescue you,” Jack said and kissed Daniel’s forehead gently. Daniel could feel some pressure around his hand; Jack was holding it he figured from the context of the far off sensation. There was another figure next to him as well, close to his knee but Daniel couldn’t be bothered to look and figured he wouldn’t be able to since the paralytic was still inside him.

“She paralyzed him somehow, we need to get him back to the castle now Jack,” Zarkina said and Daniel figured he didn’t need to be awake for the rest of his rescue. He knew Jack was with him and that was all that mattered.

Jack would protect him like always.


	12. Clean Bill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel is getting better and Jack has a surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'ed and Extended 10-27-2015

For the second time in this new world, Jack was seeing Daniel still and bloody. He wanted to grab the woman that Zarkina was holding onto and snap her neck for what he’d walked in on. Daniel laying there unable to move and tears tracks barely dry on the sides of his face as she put her hands and lips and teeth on his partner, his Daniel. It was enough for Jack to see red but at the moment Daniel needed him more than he needed vengeance so he lifted Daniel into a fireman’s carry over his shoulder and turned to the queen for them to go. Zarkina stepped forward to touch them and return them to the healers when the woman slammed her hand into Zarkina’s chest causing the woman to shriek and release her and then the assailant ran out before Zarkina could take chase. It left Jack barely holding Daniel over his shoulder and keeping Zarkina from hitting the ground in front of him from the pain of whatever the unknown woman had done.

Zarkina growled as she shook off the pain and turned like she was going to go after the woman but Jack stopped her with a pleading, “Daniel needs help.” She nodded, staring after the retreating figure before she turned back to Jack and touched his shoulder to move them through space once more.

“I promise I will get her back Jack, she’s too dangerous to be left out there. I need to know what she is,” she was saying as she helped Jack to put Daniel down on a bed in a large room that Jack had never seen. When Daniel was settled she turned around and walked across the room to open the door to allow someone to walk into the room. She had red-blonde hair and dark blue eyes, about six inches shorter in height than Zarkina with some sort of bag held at her side.

Jack frowned but Zarkina answered before he had a chance to speak, “This is Erica Trinity, she is one of my best friends and one of our best healers. She can see to Daniel if you will let her pass.”

Jack nodded and the woman walked around to the other side of the bed, leaving Jack to hold Daniel’s hand and slip the fingers of his other hand through Daniel’s hair, finding the temples tangled and tacky from his tears and blood spots in some of his hair. Jack turned back to Zarkina, “When you find that woman, kill her or I will.”

Zarkina nodded resolutely before she walked out; leaving the couple alone with Erica who was doing something though Jack, in his limited knowledge of magic, didn’t know what that could be. She was holding Daniel’s other hand in his, her eyes closed and a slight glow emanating from her skin.

“So?” Jack started even as he kept finger combing Daniel’s hair, it was one of Daniel’s favorite things, when Jack’s fingers worked through the strands of his soft hair as they were lying together in bed. “Whatcha doin over there Doc?”

Erica looked over for a second then refocused on Daniel, letting her eyes shutter closed once more, “I am searching for damage that the woman did to Daniel’s mind and soul. I can physically heal him but if there is mental damage it is going to be much harder to undo.”

“And you found some?” Jack asked, keeping his eyes focused on Daniel’s slack features as well as the slow rise and fall of his breathing.

Erica sighed, “I cannot concentrate enough to search since someone is demanding answers.”

Jack glared at the side of her face but fell silent. He still didn’t understand what she was doing, what she could do without equipment or x-rays or questionaries’ about symptoms and feelings but he did know that when he was returned to Daniel after his kidnapping, they had healed his broken chest and all the damage and he’d been fine enough to have sex not long after so clearly Jack didn’t know anything about anything in this place. He could accept that only if it meant that Daniel was going to open his eyes and say Jack’s name in that tone that spoke the words of love and acceptance without him actually saying anything.

So he waited, his fingers never stopped touching Daniel’s head, his lips never stopped pressing intermittent kisses to Daniel’s fingers and he never stopped talking to his quiet and still lover. He watched as Erica placed her hand gently to the surface wounds that landscaped Daniel’s chest and the glow that had been emanating from the woman’s body moved swiftly into Daniel and he watched in amazement as the wounds knitted themselves into nothing, as if it had never been. He ached with happiness when Daniel’s hand twitched in his grasp and those eyes fluttered open again.

“Danny? Come on love, can you talk to me?” Jack asked with a cheek aching grin.

Daniel frowned up at him, swallowed a couple of times, possibly feeling some dry mouth before he opened his mouth and spoke, “Jack, what happened?”

“Oh love, you are going to have to tell us but you’re back and you’re going to be just fine. Seriously never letting you out of my sight again”

Daniel smiled a little for a second before his face went lax again. His other hand twitched in Erica’s grasp so he turned to look at Erica, “Who’re you?” his words slurred a little with fatigue. Jack had seen it many times before when Daniel was really sick or working for too many days straight or had one beer in him. Daniel had always been a lightweight.

“Erica Trinity, I am a healer. I believe you are going to be just fine but I would be much happier if you stayed here on the island another day so I could check on you a few more times. I do not know what she gave you to paralyze you and I do not understand what she was stealing from you since you have no powers for her to drink.”

Jack frowned, “How do you know more than I do right now? I was with him when Zarkina found him and the woman who took him.”

“Zarkina called out to me,” Erica stated and pressed her finger to her temple, “She told me all she could as I was traveling to you here, not only how he was found but what she learned from the close contact with the woman who stole him. She believed she was stealing a part of his soul but I cannot feel any loss. Zarkina did mention that the woman accused her of putting some sort of protection on him but Zarkina didn’t know what she meant. It is possible that Zara did something without Akina’s permission; she’s done it before. As I said, I would feel better about seeing you again before you are returned to your campsite.”

Jack nodded and Daniel followed lead, closing his eyes in the effort to make his head move up then down once, twice and then a third time before he gasped at the exhaustion and stopped moving. Erica stood up from the bed and walked away, gripping her little bag in her hand once more. Jack turned and spoke gently, “Thank you.”

Erica smiled then she was out of the room and closing the door behind her without another word. Jack turned back to look down at Daniel, his eyes were still open but they were squinted against the light in the room.

“Too bright?” Jack whispered gently, moving to press his lips to the tips of Daniel’s fingers again.

“Headache, like a nail in the back of my neck,” Daniel husked and Jack winced sympathetically before he pulled away from his lover. He looked around the room for the first time since they got in the room and pulled closed one of the nearest curtained windows and Daniel sighed in relief. Jack returned and got up on the empty side of the bed and curled up close to Daniel who flinched a little at the contact.

“Do you want me to move away?” Jack whispered gently, trying not to be hurt by the reaction.

“No, I just haven’t felt anything below the neck for the past day and a half except when she was torturing me. I thought it was about to start again when I could feel you next to me.” Daniel reached out and pulled Jack’s hand up and in between his before he settled again. Jack sat up and Daniel whimpered when Jack maintained his slight distance, “I mean it Jack, I want you here next to me.”

“I know but I have an idea,” Jack said as he looked around and caught sight of the bathroom, walked over to it and started opening drawers until he found what he was looking for. It didn’t have an overwhelming fragrance, more like lavender, which would be better for its homeopathic healing properties, undoubtedly why the lotion was here to begin with, a Vannas type first aid kit.

He unscrewed the top and placed it on the bed next to Daniel as the younger man watched him with a cute little frown between his eyebrows. Jack just smiled then reached out and took Daniel’s hand who gave it to him easily. He watched as Jack massaged his hand, moving between the fingers and down to the wrist. He continued by rubbing lotion gently into his forearm and up to his shoulder where Jack kneaded at the straining muscle. He watched as Daniel’s eyes fluttered closed as he reached over and repeated the whole process with Daniel’s other hand, arm and shoulder. Then just to keep Daniel guessing he moved down and with some more lotion in his hands he worked on Daniel’s feet and legs, one at a time and staying far away from the juncture where Daniel’s undershorts were still covering him. Instead he focused on the indent at the back of Daniel’s knees and the instep on his feet, which caused Daniel to jerk and chuckle, “Tickles a little,” he whispered.

Jack moved back up close to start rubbing and massaging Daniel’s chest and stomach and he felt when Daniel tensed again, “It’s okay Danny, it’s me Jack. I promise I am not going to hurt you,” he whispered kindly and felt as the tension eked back out of his lover’s body just as he coaxed Daniel into flipping over onto his stomach.

“I don’t know Jack, I can’t see you like this,” Daniel panted, on the verge of something that he would describe as panic not that he had much experience with Daniel in a panic. It just wasn’t something the guy did very often, so when it happened Jack did everything he could to reassure him.

“Listen to me then Danny, I did what you asked. I watched you walk away, teleport away with the queen and her husband. I did what I had to do without you, which apparently was a lot of getting thrown to the ground by Teal’c and Damnation,” he stopped and listened to the breathy chuckle as Daniel moved his hands under his chin instead of just flopping next to his sides where they were. “I learned and trained and I figured out something.”

“What?” he husked as Jack’s hands kneaded the muscles in Daniel’s back. He was starting to have a difficult time ignoring the lust that Daniel’s nearness was causing and that he’d been living without for almost a week. He was always attracted to Daniel, but when he hadn’t been here Jack had been left with nothing more than his dreams and recent memories which were a shallow replacement for the man himself but he was going to ignore his growing erection and do what he could for Danny right now.

“I realized that I don’t want to go on in life without you, I can if I had to and if that’s what you wanted but I won’t if I have a say in the matter and you choose me. I remember when you were coming down from the high of the sarcophagus, when I found you in the storeroom and you didn’t think you could go on, that was one of those life defining and changing moments for me. It was one that told me in some tiny little place in my brain that I would do anything to keep you with me. That hasn’t changed, especially now I know you want me back.”

“Jack,” Daniel whispered then sniffled a little.

He hurried on, sure that Daniel was going to talk him out of this, that he’d found the opposite to be true while he was here on the island with Zarkina and her people. He needed to finish his pitch while he had the guts to do so. “Danny, I am in love with you and it doesn’t matter what you say because I always will but if you think we are going to be better as friends and lovers than spouses then so be it but I don’t want you to think that I didn’t think about this every second of every hour of every day that you weren’t here with me.” Jack’s hands weren’t really even massaging anymore, they were just still on Daniel’s lower back, his thumbs caressing the dip in Daniel’s spine softly.

Daniel shifted onto his side, panting from the exertion and tugged on Jack until he settled down next to the scientist and their eyes locked on each other. Jack smiled at the look of happy relief and exhaustion, not to mention the love that shined through everything else. It made Daniel transcendently beautiful to Jack, like he wasn’t even really human anymore but some kind of angel sent to earth to keep saving Jack from himself and a life full of duty and drinking, pretending that it was going to be enough.

“Jack, I love you. That hasn’t changed in the days I was away, in fact it has deepened already because Akina helped me see where some of my issues are so please don’t stop loving me because there is no way I am ever going to stop loving you.”

Jack grinned, “Yeah?” he asked, sappy happiness dripping off the word and out of his mouth and in any other circumstance he would had sworn Daniel to secrecy for fear of murder if Daniel ever told anyone just how sappy he was but he figured he was safe.

Daniel smiled, “Yeah—unless you get fat that is,” the younger man said with a negligent shrug. Jack stared at him in shock then laughed, laying down on his back to laugh at the ceiling, great belly laughs that he’d forgotten he was capable of. Then he felt Daniel’s hand on his chest and over his heart so he turned on his side again.

“I love you Danny, so freaking much.”

“Me too Jack,” Daniel responded then tugged Jack forward to press their lips together and smiled before he whispered, “Okay even if you get fat.”

Jack snickered as he pressed forward for another kiss and pressed his palm into the side of Daniel’s neck. Before the kiss had a chance to contemplate getting out of hand, Daniel yawned and they broke apart and Jack smiled at his tired lover, “Sleep Danny, you need it more than me right now.”

“Never,” Daniel mumbled even as he closed his eyes and his hand went slack in Jack’s and so he just watched as Daniel slept. He didn’t know how long that woman had tortured him but he was sure that Daniel hadn’t had any really sleep since it started and since he was helping Zarkina with a treaty he wondered how much sleep Daniel had gotten before he was kidnapped, Jack was pretty sure Daniel had read everything there was to know about the people he was meeting with before he ever walked into the same room with them, it was what he did when he was trying to do the best he could in whatever capacity of work he was given. The perfectionism streak in him made him the best in his field but also tended to keep Daniel from taking good care of himself but then Jack had been helping him with that for years, not as a lover or partner but just as one of the few people Daniel trusted at his back. So Jack tightened his grip on Daniel’s hand for a moment, brought it to his lips for a kiss then settled down to rest too, it had been a long day.

He slipped into an easy sleep which lasted for a long time, only to be jarred awake by the awareness that his stomach was empty and he needed sustenance so he leaned close and pressed a kiss to the side of Daniel’s head. His lover was still sleeping the deep healing sleep he needed so Jack walked out of the bedroom, wondering where the heck he was and how he was going to get some food. As he looked around the large apartment he was in, his eyes widened when they fell on a basket on a table that had some baked goods, fruits and vegetables. There was enough food to feed even the hungry Colonel so he grabbed the tray, which also included some kind of hot beverage, kept warm in a pot sitting daintily next to two small cups on plates. He rolled his eyes, thinking the picture he was going to make drinking out of that but found he didn’t really care, as long as it was warm and good.

He walked back into the bedroom, relieved to see Daniel was still sleeping but he had curled in on himself at the lack of Jack’s body temperature so Jack put the tray on the bedside table and climbed back into bed. He leaned over and grabbed one of the muffin-like things; he munched on the edge as an explosion of sweet and hearty hit his tongue at the same time, possibly some sort of sweet meat type thing. It was surprisingly good so he kept eating as Daniel curled closer to him again. As Jack was propped up against the headboard, Daniel moved just enough to throw his arm over Jack’s stomach and press his head into the side of Jack’s body. He felt as the warm breath from his lover’s lips warmed a small patch of his skin and smiled, happy to know that his presence was a comfort and there was no reason for Daniel to wake up unless he was done sleeping.

Jack continued munching on a piece of fruit, vibrant red inside and out with a soft skin, sort of like a peach but the taste was more in line with berries. He wondered how some of these foods could still taste like things from their time and not look familiar at all. It was interesting but then that was a Sam question and a Daniel curiosity so Jack just shrugged and ate a few more things on the platter before taking a drink of the warmed liquid only to groan a little at the taste that was surprisingly like coffee. Daniel was going to be so happy when he woke up. Then with a full belly and a warm archeologist tucked in his arms, Jack saw no reason to not just let the warmth and comfort wash over him and allow him to sleep once more.

 

Daniel sat on the bed with Jack sitting in the chair next to him while Erica the healer looked him over. Jack was watching her anxiously, waiting for her to tell them what she needed to say but Daniel felt pretty good. There was no lingering pain in his chest, no fatigue to sap at his mind and abilities and he was just looking forward to going and seeing Sam and Teal’c then he was going to propose to Jack since the Colonel didn’t seem to want to ask anymore. Daniel could understand that, he’d basically laughed in Jack’s face the last time the older man had taken a chance and asked him. So Daniel was going to put his heart on the line and ask Jack. He hoped Jack would consider it, thinking he would after what Jack said while he was massaging Daniel to sleep the night before.

“Well I spoke to Zarkina and she spoke to Zara and finally got the protection thing figured out,” Erica was saying.

“What protection thing?” Daniel asked.

Erica smiled like she knew that was the only thing he’d been really paying attention to, “Amada said she couldn’t do as much damage to you as she’d hoped and accused Zarkina of doing it, well she was sort of right. Zara, Akina’s other half liked Daniel so much that she took it upon herself to protect Daniel while he was away from Jack. It is temporary. If you are separated again, it will take effect again if it hasn’t been dismantled and I imagine that you would like to keep it in working order?” she asked them both.

Jack looked over at Daniel and he sighed, “I don’t mind, if it keeps me alive and safe long enough to get back to Jack then I don’t really see that as a problem.”

“Me neither, I’d put him in a freaking bubble to protect him if he’d allow it,” Jack replied with a grumble and a growl. Daniel smiled and winked at his lover before he turned back to Erica who was shaking her head and smiling at them.

“I can see why she likes you two.”

“Huh what?” Jack asked while Daniel smiled a little, pretty sure he knew who she was talking about.

“Akina, she’s really taken a liking to your whole team but mostly you two and mostly Daniel. I can see why. You are honest and you don’t care about labels and a predetermined way of behavior, she deals with that a lot, people showing her one face then they are completely different everywhere else. She hates it. You are honest.”

“Takes too much time and energy to wear masks,” Jack said with a shrug and Daniel just kept smiling, happy to be here with Jack again.

“So I’m okay?” Daniel asked.

Erica smiled, patted his free hand and nodded, “Take it easy for a day or so because despite the healing you are still going to be feeling the drain from what happened to you, it was a mental attack as well as physical which means it will take a little bit of time to be back to full healthy. Jack, are you hearing me?”

“Yup,” Jack said with one resolute nod and Daniel groaned, thinking that no matter the time and distance that separated him from Janet Frasier, apparently he was going to end up with this woman telling Jack what Daniel should and should not be doing which means the man wasn’t going to leave him alone.

Although, he thought with a smile, Jack not leaving him alone could be a good thing.

“Then you and Jack are free to return to Silver Wolf’s camp and I hope the next time we meet will be under better circumstances.”

Jack gave her a smart salute and walked her to the door before he walked back of and climbed onto the bed and reach for Daniel who reached right back, they brought each other in close until their lips met in a gentle kiss that morphed quickly into something hotter but soon Daniel was tucking his chin and breaking the kiss. Jack just smiled and waited from Daniel to say something, “Can we go see the rest of our family now?” he asked.

Jack smiled, pressed a kiss to Daniel’s lips again and got up. They both redressed, Jack was wearing dark smooth slacks and a button shirt with a vest and handed a similar outfit in a dark shade of blue to Daniel. They both put on boots as well before they left the bedroom and walked into the large apartment, “Do you like this room Jack?”

Jack shrugged, “It’s definitely bigger than the tent, why?”

“When we come to live here, this is where Lady Zarkina wants us placed, Teal’c and Sam would have the far bedroom. We would still be together and she said that she wants us here, its supposed to be safer.”

Jack snickered, “I came to the conclusion long ago that the safest place in the world, you are going to find some trouble so that isn’t really a bad or good indication of a place.”

Daniel glared at Jack for that, “Har har, so funny I could just die Jack.”

“I know,” Jack replied and they walked out of the room together, finding their way easily down the stairs and if Daniel had to lean a little on Jack’s shoulder as they walked down the stairs, Jack didn’t say anything, he just wrapped a comforting arm around Daniel’s waist and helped to keep him steady. They made it to the bottom of the stairs to find Damnation there leaning against the wall and looking around the place like he was casing it for all the best goodies to steal. He caught Daniel’s eyes on him and winked as they stopped in front of him and neither man mentioned that Daniel was huffing a little from the walk down the stairs. Daniel wanted to roll his eyes at the concept of being winded for walking down the stairs but then Erica did say that he would still be tired. Instead Jack shared a questioning look with Damnation and the leader of the Infidels just gave a discreet nod but Daniel noticed anyway, “What’s going on guys?” he demanded as he pushed Jack away from him.

“Don’t worry about it Danny,” Jack said with a cheeky grin. Damnation touched them both on their shoulders and they transported in that stomach-heaving way once more. Daniel closed his eyes, desperately trying not to hurl all over the place when they landed, thankfully hadn’t eaten very much earlier. “Daniel, you should really open your eyes now.”

“Why Jack?” Daniel asked with a long suffering sigh then he did and was surprised to not see Jack staring at him with a smile. He looked down when he saw movement just under his line of sight and found Jack on one knee in front of him. Daniel gasped, shocked and was about to take a step back or lean down to help Jack back up again, Jack took his hand between his before he started speaking.

“Danny, are you done trying to convince yourself that we belong together?” Jack asked with a stern look on his face.

Daniel smiled down at him happiness bubbling up in his chest, “Jack get up, you are going to kill your knees.”

“Answer the question Daniel!” Jack demanded using just a little of his Colonel tone but not enough to make Daniel angry in the process, causing someone to snicker and it sounded suspiciously like Sam. Daniel would have looked around to see but he was locked on Jack with laser focus.

“Yes Jack I am done trying to convince myself,” Daniel responded, his face softening into a smile as he tightened his hand in Jack’s grip.

“Then I will ask you again, not to marry me some day in the near future but right now. I am sick of waiting for it to be long enough to make promises that you are worried I can’t keep. Just take this leap of faith with me Danny, we can never have all the answers but I know the answer to the most important one. I love you and you love me so please just marry me right now Danny please?”

Daniel kept smiling down at Jack then gripped him by the hands and pulled him up to stand. Jack came willingly and waited. Thankfully Daniel didn’t keep him waiting long, “Yes Jack I will marry you.”

“Good, everyone was just waiting for you.”

Daniel finally turned to see the beach decked out in wedding finery. Flowers spread out on the sand created an isle and a small group of people were gathered, waiting for the grooms. Daniel looked shocked, turning to stare at Jack “You did this for me?”

“Of course Danny, I love you and I am sick of keeping it to myself. Why hide what we have together when we don’t have to. If we never go home, I can be happy because you and I are together and we were able to make a life together because we both chose to.”

Daniel nodded, tears shimmering on his lashes. The two men walked towards the isle in the sand, only to be joined by Teal’c and Sam. “Our best man and maid of honor,” Jack answered Daniel’s look.

Daniel grinned, “What if I wanted Teal’c?” he asked in a haughty tone, one that made Sam snicker again and Jack shrugged.

“Too late now,” Jack stated and they continued down the isle until Zarkina stepped in front of them surprising Daniel with her presence, “I thought you were staying on the island,” he said to her since she had told him she wouldn’t ply teleporter for them before Erica came to visit but she would see them soon. Actually now that Daniel thought about it, she had winked at Jack then too so of course she had known. He turned to Jack, “What if I had said no?” he demanded.

Jack shrugged again, “Then it would have just been a welcome home and thank god you didn’t die kind of party, we’ve had those for you in the past.”

Daniel rolled his eyes then looked at the queen who was waiting for them to be done so she could speak. Daniel apologized under his breath and nudge Jack in the side, making his lover oomph in response before the queen spoke.

Zarkina smiled, “We wanted to be here for this and it is one of my joyful duties to join people in mating bonds. One of the few that I enjoy actually,” she stated with a wink. Daniel grinned back at her, reaching out to take Jack’s hands in his and loved the texture of the rough calluses on Jack’s hands, it comforted him. That skin roughened by hard work and life felt like a physical proof that Jack would always be there to protect him, he couldn’t keep Daniel from getting hurt, he couldn’t keep them from fighting and having struggles now and in the future but Daniel was going to take that leap in understanding that he was loved and he loved in return.

“I have heard that your people exchange vows. You may proceed,” Zarkina said with a gentle wave of her hand before her.

Jack took a deep breath and started leaving Daniel to wonder what he was going to say since he hadn’t prepared anything, “Daniel Jackson,” Jack started on the tail end of a sigh making his name sound soulfully beautiful on Jack’s lips, “You saved my life on Abydos over three years ago and I have found in you a friend I could trust with anything, a partner to help me find my way and fight battles together and a lover. I fell in love your courage, your tenacity and your genius but most of all I love your heart. You are the most wonderful and loving man I have ever known, able to forgive any transgression, which I have tested time and again.” There were a few chuckles at that statement. “I will live the rest of my life making sure you know that you are loved. There is no one out there for me but you.”

Zarkina smiled as she dabbed a little at the corner of her eyes, “Thank you Jack, Daniel?”

Daniel’s eyes were shimmering with tears again but he took a deep breath to keep it contained so he could speak. It helped when Jack whispered; “I love you” it gave him the courage to open his mouth and try to say what he so desperately needed to say.

“Jonathan ‘Jack’ O’Neill, I remember thinking the first time you came back for me, how did I get lucky enough to see him again. I knew even then that you were important to me but I could have never guessed to the depths how important you would become. You care so much about your team and your people, giving everything for them instead of you. You taught me what it was to fight, really fight for what I believe and you found the strength in you that it took to make the move and tell me that you loved me. You are so smart and savvy enough to hide it so people will underestimate you but I always knew better. I saved you but you have saved me so many more times then I could ever count. You bring life back into my heart and I will do everything for the rest of my life to keep you.”

Daniel sucked in a deep breath, turning slightly away as he scrubbed the moisture from his cheeks before he laughed it off and looked back at his soon-to-be husband. Jack’s eyes were shimmering with unshed tears as well though he did nothing to hide them or keep them from falling. Daniel just gave Jack a watery smile and they both turned to Zarkina, not knowing what to expect next.

She smiled as she spoke, “Please repeat after me. I bind myself to thee, in love and fidelity.” They spoke the words in harmony. “I bind my life force, my body and soul to the one I love.” Again they repeated the words. “So mote it be,” Zarkina finished.

“So mote it be,” Daniel and Jack spoke together then the audience repeated it as well. There was nothing more magical than the love they shared but Daniel knew that was magic enough for him. He didn’t know it then but it was enough for their magical friends to feel as well, their bond forming and solidifying in the words they chose to share.

Damnation stepped forward and handed the two rings to Jack, shocking Daniel into saying, “You got us rings?”

Zarkina answered quickly as they held their rings in their palms, “Well they aren’t really rings; they are the basic form of the bonding spell. When you put it on its going to bond to your skin so don’t freak out about it.”

Jack and Daniel both nodded.

“You first,” Daniel suggested.

Jack smiled and he reached out and Daniel gave him his left hand and then the ring was sliding onto his finger as if it had been made for him, but then again that was probably true. Then Daniel repeated the motion for Jack then asked with a smirk, “Aren’t we supposed to kiss or something?”

“Go ahead,” Zarkina said with a smile. Jack leaned forward and Daniel moved in as well until their lips were touching and the kiss immediately shifted as Daniel opened his mouth and wrapped his arms around Jack. They kissed with the background of applause and catcalls for a moment then Jack ended the kiss only to come close to peck another kiss to the corner of Daniel’s smiling mouth.

Then he felt something slipping across the skin of his left hand, Daniel pulled his hand back from Jack’s shoulder to watch as his husband did the same. There was a silver thread, almost like something was painting the thread of silver with an invisible brush but it didn’t leave behind a trail as it slipped around on the underside of their palms and down their wrists. They both turned their hands over to inspect it and when the thread stopped moving it left behind the small design of the infinity symbol with the words ‘Forever in Time’ with DJ and JON underneath. There was also a thick tattooed band where the ring had been a moment earlier. Daniel smiled at the symbol and Jack grinned before he leaned in to capture Daniel’s lips once more.

“Now if you are done,” Zarkina yelled over the cheers that surrounded the new married couple. “We have one more bonding ceremony to complete before we eat.”

Daniel and Jack looked at her in confusion. Sam and Teal’c each stepped forward and smiled at their teammates. Daniel hugged them both and Jack shook the Jaffa’s hand before hugging Sam as well. They recited their vows and the binding words before donning their rings as well. The rings were gold instead of the silver on Jack and Daniel’s fingers and when the magic was complete the new couple had the trinity symbol on the inside of their left wrist with the words ‘Love, Friendship and loyalty’ inside the design. At the center of the three ovals, where they intersected was both of their names.

Daniel liked that the symbols were different and unique, wondering if the spell was made to do that, to take on something of the people it was bonding together. With another round of cheers, everyone adjourned to the large tables that looked suspiciously like the ones from the Throne room in the castle so Daniel walked around them until he found the funny little message he found a few days before, ‘Akina was always here’ it stated and Daniel laughed again when he saw it.

“We do not have such tables here in the camp,” Damnation stated when he found Daniel snickering over the message on the table with Jack staring at him like he was losing his mind. Daniel nodded and they went to retrieve their platters of food and sat down among old friends and new friends, finding camaraderie here that Daniel had wondered was possible because they were so different in some ways to these people but maybe the love that Daniel shared openly with Jack and vice versa was enough to show them that there were things that were the same. They all hoped for safety and security, love and family in this life. Maybe their life would never be the same again, that much was obvious but maybe it could be better and these people had started to show each member of SG-1 how that was possible by being here with them in this amazing moment.

They said goodbye to Zarkina before she teleported away with her husband and surprisingly Erica as well before Jack started dragging Daniel back to the tent they had started sharing only a week and a half ago.

Daniel sighed when Jack’s arms came around his waist as he pushed aside the flap and Jack whispered in his ear, “Happy wedding day Danny.”

Daniel gasped at the sight before him, in the center of the much large interior that should be scientifically impossible was a bed. And it wasn’t just any bed; it was a large bed made for the two of them on a wooden frame with Jack’s initials carved into one of the ends. Daniel stepped forward, reaching out to touch the smooth surface of the wood, no possibility to splinters there and he turned back to Jack, “You did this?”

Jack grinned at the happy look on Daniel’s face, “Yeah, Teal’c and Sam helped and there was some magical help as well but I carved most of the wood and sanded it down. I just wanted you to have something special today, since you gave me something so much better.”

Daniel smiled, walked over and pulled the other man into a quick hug, leaning into him as the fatigue settled into his shoulders and he groaned and not the way he’d want to on his wedding night.

Jack chuckled, “Danny, you’re tired, let’s get you into that bed and take it for a spin.”

“Pretty sure I won’t be getting any rest that way,” Daniel said with a laugh as he moved to sit on the side of the bed and Jack knelt before him to help him with his boots.

“No Danny, we’re going to sleep.”

“Okay but you promise to ravish me later when I don’t feel like I am going to sleep through all the good stuff.”

“You have my word,” Jack responded as he stood again and started stripping Daniel down to his underwear before he pulled back the covers and Daniel let himself be tucked into bed. Jack started tugging off his clothes as well before he got in on his side of the bed and curled in close to Daniel’s side. And without another word, both fell asleep.


	13. Married Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys find themselves married... again, let's hope it goes better this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extended and updated 10/8/2015
> 
> Unbeta'ed

Jack woke up slowly, allowing the world to filter into his consciousness one sense at a time; he could hear Daniel’s low breathing in his ear and feel Daniel’s breath against his neck and the twitch of his hand against Jack’s chest. He smelled Daniel’s slight musk and it wove itself into him, making him smile as he opened his eyes and looked over at his husband.

He was married. He was married again and to Daniel. Jack grinned at the thought, it’s not like he’d ever sat at home dressing up Ken dolls as him and Daniel and made them walk down the aisle together, his happiness wasn’t the result of some long awaited fantasy coming true. It came from the fact that he loved Daniel and they made a commitment to stand together against all odds and situations and though they’d had that together for years because they were teammates, they’d always gone home and kept orbiting around each other, ignoring that there could never be another person for Jack because Daniel was what he found himself wanting. So no this wasn’t some closet case dream he’d had since he was a kid but it was what he wanted and he’d asked the question and heard the answer ‘yes’. Jack was willing to do whatever it took to continue to enjoy this second chance at love and life.

He took Daniel’s hand off his chest, bringing it up close in his gentle grip and kissed Daniel’s palm gently, then turned it over just enough to press another kiss to his knuckles and listened as Daniel’s breathing became more shallow and uneven, markers of the younger man waking up. Jack turned on his side and laid Daniel’s hand back on the side of his body before he leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to Daniel’s slack lips, ignoring the slight morning breath the other man had, understanding that his probably wasn’t much better. Daniel shifted and woke up and pressed into the kiss before he pulled away and muttered, “Jack?”

“What? You were expectin’ someone else?” Jack asked with a laugh.

Daniel shook his head and Jack smiled before he pressed his hand to Daniel’s cheek and brought his face up enough to look into the light blue eyes that haunted his dreams and fantasies even before he knew for sure something had changed. He was happy he didn’t have to ignore them anymore.

“Danny we got married yesterday,” he whispered into Daniel’s lips and felt the scientist’s resulting smile.

“Sucker,” Daniel whispered.

Jack barked out a surprised laugh at that, “What? Why am I a sucker?”

“Because now you are really going to have to rescue me for the rest of your life, you know that’s not going to change, the finding trouble thing that I do so well and that annoys you so much.”

Jack chuckled and pulled Daniel into a hug, “Ah Danny, I proposed to you on purposed, I said yes on purpose and I am always going to find you, I can’t promise to always do it quickly or very well, you should have seen Zarkina calling me to the carpet when the rescue was not going the way I’d hoped,” he whispered against Daniel’s cheek, thinking back to the queen telling him to knock it off before he screwed up their chances of getting Daniel back. “But we are always going to be together, because we can make amazing things happen when we’re together right?”

Daniel nodded and pulled back enough to press his lips to Jack’s in another long kiss and Jack shrugged off the possibility of morning breath, it wasn’t bad enough for him to stop kissing his newly minted husband.

Then Daniel was reaching down and trying to shove his underwear off without breaking their kiss so Jack reached down and grabbed Daniel’s hand and just slipped it down Jack’s briefs. Daniel moaned into Jack’s mouth at the contact while the Colonel started panting at the sensation of Daniel’s hand on his cock. Then Daniel started pumping slowly up and down, Jack couldn’t stop from pulling away from the kiss and panting into the open morning air of the tent. Jack shuddered a little as Daniel’s thumb slipped over the sensitive head before he continued to rev Jack up until he didn’t think he was going to last and he didn’t want to come like this, in his shorts and not inside Daniel.

So he pulled away from Daniel, ignoring the groan of annoyance coming from his partner so he could remove his last piece of clothing and Daniel hurried to do the same before the other man was back, crawling astride Jack’s chest with the little lube jar gripped in his hand and Jack wondered for a couple seconds where he got that from before Daniel was pressing down to kiss him again, his tongue pressing down in deep into Jack’s mouth and he pressed his palm into the side of Daniel’s neck to keep him as close as possible and to have the kiss continue as long as he could. Daniel pressed the lube into Jack’s open hand so together they unscrewed the top and Daniel delved his finger into the viscous liquid and then before Jack could say or do anything, reached back behind himself to prepare for Jack.

He watched as the younger man shifted and groaned at the intrusion of his own fingers and then he surged up on his elbows and pressed into another deep kiss. He couldn’t anything that Daniel was doing, only feel his movements as they became languid and relaxed against his chest where his hard cock was sliding along Jack’s skin erotically and every once in a while Daniel’s knuckles would brush over the top of Jack’s penis and he would jerk into his body and the kiss. Daniel then started pushing down on Jack’s chest until he was lying flat on the bed, scooped up some more lube and used it to slick Jack’s cock before he scooted down and moved over Jack’s member and with excruciating slowness, slid down to envelope Jack into his body. Jack’s hand moved quickly from the bed to grip at Daniel’s hips, sliding them into the divot there and gripped tightly, trying to hold on and make this good for both of them.

He grunted at the wet heat, the tightness wrapped around him and there was nothing he could do but watch as Danny pressed down and then he was sitting down completely and his head was back and he was panting at the ceiling of their tent. He made a beautiful picture there, the sweat giving his skin a slight sheen and his breath panting in and out with the fervor of their coupling. Jack couldn’t stop his hips from lifting and pressing up inside Daniel just to watch him moan and then he leaned down to press on of his hands into Jack’s shoulder they moved together as if it had been planned all along. Jack kept his hands on Daniel’s hips, help him to rise and fall on his cock even as he pushed up into Daniel’s down stroke. He couldn’t close his eyes, he just kept watching Daniel as he moved and they both breathed in the ecstasy of being together for a few minutes before their thrusting quickened and Daniel gasped as Jack shifted and started striking his prostrate on every stroke. When Daniel’s body tightened in response Jack grunted, moved to grip Daniel’s cock and pumped him quickly, knowing he wasn’t going to last and wanting Daniel to fly with him. He pounded into Daniel while he kept jerking on the other man’s straining erection, putting slightly more pressure on Daniel then with a splash and a shout they were both coming before Daniel fell over Jack’s chest while they both breathed heavily into each other.

“Oh yeah, that was amazing,” Daniel husked into Jack’s shoulder. He turned a little and pressed a kiss into the skin there and Jack smiled, nudging Daniel to bring him over for a quick and open-mouthed kiss before Daniel pressed his forehead into the side of Jack’s neck and just laid there. Jack wrapped his arms around Daniel, trying to keep him as close as he could but when Daniel shifted and pulled off of Jack he let him and shifted sideways with Daniel to keep his eyes on him.

They both shut their eyes, dozing in the post-coital glow for a while before Jack reached down and pressed his hand to his penis again, surprised to find it was hardening again and desperate to continue this honeymoon for a little longer. He pressed in close to Daniel who chuckled and flipped over to bring his back to Jack’s front and left himself completely open and trusting to Jack. He was so overcome by the gesture that Jack reached around Daniel and just pressed himself close, holding Daniel against his chest. Daniel sighed happily, “I don’t mind Jack, you can take me again. I love you.”

“I love you too Danny but I think I just want to stay here with you like this instead. This thing we have, it’s not about getting off, I mean man that’s great and all,” Daniel snickered at that and Jack pressed a kiss to Daniel’s shoulder and whispered the rest into his skin, “It’s not all there is to me, using you for sex would never be enough for me. You are worth everything to me.”

Daniel stayed quiet and just squeezed his hand around Jack’s where it was wrapped over his chest and they stayed there still for a few minutes before Jack got up and retrieved some damp clothes to clean up with before they dressed and walked out to get some food. Jack reached down as they opened the flap of their tent and captured Daniel’s hand in his, causing the archeologist to smile with a slight blush on his cheeks. Jack rolled his eyes a little at that they had just come in a shouting climax together and Daniel blushes about holding hands. It probably had more to do with the public claim it represented and Daniel had only ever had one person claiming him in public and that had been his wife once upon a time and Jack was starting to wonder if that had a little something to do with Jack reappearing in Daniel’s life in that moment, she must have known they shared some kind of bond created in tough situations and if Jack was there, then she could lose Daniel and that’s exactly what happened. Well if it was up to Jack for the rest of their lives, he was going to keep letting every person they came into contact with who held his heart and who had been gracious enough to give his in exchange. They found some food, soon joined by Teal’c and Sam and Jack couldn’t help but smile a little as the remaining satiation scrawled all over Sam’s face and the way she pressed herself up against Teal’c while they were eating, as if she was going to jump him if he gave even the slightest indication he would do anything, no matter the audience. Jack ate quickly, not sure he wanted to be here for when Teal’c was sick of being teased during his time for eating and he dragged Daniel away for a walk around the camp, they found their way to a small lake and Jack moved Daniel over to sit in front of the lapping water then flopped down painfully on the hardened ground.

“Daniel, can I ask you something?”

Daniel tucked himself under Jack’s raised arm, “Yeah.”

“Have you ever been with a man before me?” he asked.

“Yeah maybe we should have had the previous sex partners before we got married,” Daniel said with a laugh but it sounded off, wrong somehow. “I have kissed a couple of guys before, there were times in college and on digs when you just fooled around, kind of like some of those soldier stories you hear about. I have never allowed another man to be inside me.”

Jack wondered at the specificity in that statement, “But you have been inside another man?” he guessed.

When Daniel flinched before he nodded with a slight flush coating his cheeks as if he was expecting Jack to freak out and maybe he was a little because Daniel hadn’t said anything about Jack bottoming, he’s automatically assumed that role, he’d wanted it and enjoyed it, that much was clear to Jack but what if he wasn’t ever able to give that to Daniel. He’d always heard all the slurs about the catchers, gay men who topped were at least still manly and they didn’t take it, they gave it. He wondered if it was possible that Daniel had assumed that Jack wouldn’t be able to handle it so he would just assume the role to protect Jack’s image and to have Jack in whatever way he could which was exactly what he’d the first time they’d fooled around, Daniel would accept anything Jack was able to give and he wouldn’t ever ask for anything more. He wondered, though if that was fair to either of them.

“Jack, you got a wicked frown going on,” Daniel said as he scooted away from Jack’s shoulder and immediately stared down at his hands which he was gripping in his lap, “Are you mad I never told you? I couldn’t, I was already rumored as a fag, I didn’t want that to change our friendship and now, none of that matters. I don’t want anyone, no other man or woman, just you.” Daniel’s words pleaded with Jack to understand and he did, he understood Daniel was always asking for less than what he deserved and he didn’t know how to help except get over himself and show Daniel that they could have an equal partnership together. He leaned over and pressed his lips to Daniel’s to keep him from starting up again. When he pulled back and pressed Daniel in close to his side again. “I know Daniel and that’s not my concern.”

“What’s your concern? I thought the sex was good,” he whispered and his voice wobbled and Jack shook him a little to keep him from going off on another tangent about what he could be doing differently. It was weird to see some of Daniel’s issues up close and personal like this, wanting to be everything Jack wanted when he knew that the archeologist who was now his husband was one of the strongest willed people Jack had ever met, never backing down for the sake of others.

“God, Daniel, the sex with you is more than good now just be quiet for a second okay?”

Daniel nodded and relaxed against Jack’s side, “Okay.”

“Do you enjoy it?”

“What? It?” Daniel asked in confusion.

“Being on top, being inside a man?” Jack blurted out before he had the chance to take it back, for fear of his own personal misgivings about the whole subject. Daniel snapped to attention again and glared at Jack. He looked pissed all of a sudden.

“What? Jack, why are you asking all of a sudden?”

“Because Danny, you won’t tell me unless I ask, so I’m asking. Was it good for you? Was it even slightly as good as feeling me inside you, of what I feel when I am connected to you in that way?”

Daniel was still frowning at him. “Do you want to try it?” he asked instead.

Jack looked away for a second then looked back, “I want us to be together in every way, I want you to be happy with me and I want us to have a chance to have an even partnership and it seems like that has been a little one sided so far.”

Daniel snorted, “Only if I’m not coming, and I am. If you cared more about your own pleasure then mine then maybe I would have a problem with bottoming but you don’t so why should I feel neglected in anyway, or like things are uneven.”

“But you’d like to someday?” Jack asked, trying to get one freaking straight answer out of the guy who was better at double talk than a lot of the politicians Jack had known throughout his military career.

“Yeah, when you’re ready. This is all still so new to you, I have been experimenting sexually on and off since college and I am not really in danger of not having fun when I’m with you if you, god forbid, need to come to terms with these changes. Now can we please just enjoy some time together without you thinking you are not giving me everything I need.”

Jack chuckled, thinking that was more like the Daniel he knew: snotty when he knew he was right and determined for everyone to see it that way. Jack gripped the side of Daniel’s face gently in his palm and brought the younger man’s lips to his for a slow kiss that stopped time, it felt like Jack’s heart stopped before leaping into motion to make up the difference, then pulled back and smiled at the slightly dazed expression on Daniel’s face. “I have a better idea, let’s go back to the tent and I am going to show you how many times I can bring you off in an hour.”

Daniel grinned, “Big talk for an old guy,” he said as he stood up and they both raced back to the tent and Jack made good on his offer, over and over again to the sated pleasure of his husband and he let go of the issue of taking Daniel for another day when the whole issue didn’t still make him a little leery. He just thanked all the so called deities out there in the world and hidden in the stars of all the other worlds in the galaxy that Daniel was sweet and loving and understanding of Jack and he was willing to say what he needed to, to let Jack know he was feeling loved and happy with how Jack showed up. He would do everything in his power to see Daniel fulfilled and as happy as he was in having Daniel with him.

 

Daniel woke up suddenly, looking around to see or hear any reason why he was suddenly awake so he turned on his side, winced a little at the stretch and burn from all their lovemaking throughout the day and smiled. It had been worth every sore muscle and hicky to see Jack take to new heights or pleasure through the hours of daylight and into the night, it was worth it to feel so loved and honored and cherished as he did when Jack was touching him.

Thankfully there hadn’t been any more worries about whether Daniel was getting off or Jack was doing everything he should and so on, it was just pleasure and laughter and just ignoring the existence of anyone else in the world. He shifted a little more, planning to resettle and fall back to sleep when he was immediately distracted by Jack’s loving gaze. He could barely see him in the dim interior of the tent but it was enough to lean down and kiss those smiling lips gently.

“Husband huh?” he whispered to Jack, some little part of him surprised and still in awe over the fact that here he was married again after losing Sha’re and he hoped she was happy that he’d found love again.

Jack grinned back at him, pulling Daniel back down for another kiss, “Husband forever in time Danny.”

Daniel slipped closer, leaning into Jack’s chest to share a deeper and longer kiss. Jack moved to where he could wrap his arms around Daniel’s upper body, trapping him against Jack’s broad chest and he smiled into the kiss. Daniel loved the feel of when Jack’s hands started moving up and down is back, then one hand moved to cup Daniel’s cheek to keep Daniel close before he moved that hand towards the last place the lube had been thrown too when something crashed nearby.

Jack and Daniel parted quickly, Daniel moving to grab his undershorts and well as his pants, “What was that?” Daniel asked before he turned to see Jack already dressed and shoving his feet into boots. Daniel took a moment to appreciate the skill Jack had in putting his clothes back on so quickly then sighed because it would mean he would have to take them all off again later but he figured that might be rather enjoyable. With a shrug to get his mind out of the bedroom Daniel headed towards the flap in the tent, with Jack following close behind with a staff that he’d been training with for a while now. They walked out of the tent and towards the commotion caused by the mysterious crash. Finding themselves close to the edge of the camp where the shield wavered and pulsed, there was something on the other side of it, moving towards it quickly and Daniel gasped with the realization that there was a ConjoCrea slamming the shield, causing it to waver and he wondered as he moved back quickly if it was going to fail. Jack moved with him, holding Daniel’s hand on his as he coaxed Daniel to keep moving backwards when the creature struck again and with the sound of shattering glass it came flying through and hit several of the Infidels and headed straight for Jack and Daniel. Jack shoved Daniel off to the side as the creature barreled through and Jack stood again, armed with his staff while Daniel stayed sprawled on the ground for another minute as the screams from the Infidels and Silver Wolf’s people rose into the air. The creature turned and Daniel scrambled to his feet as  the creature looked around and then it’s eyes landed on Daniel and it started running towards him. Daniel turned and ran, hearing Jack call out from behind him. He heard the pounding of claws in packed dirt behind him, weaving in and out of the trees only to find him looking into the shimmering eyes of another creature.

Daniel skidded to a stop then turned and moved between the two monsters and cut quickly back towards the camp and Jack to see his husband racing towards him just as one of the creatures decided it was done playing and it slammed into him, dropping him face first into the ground. Daniel groaned into the dirt when his head struck the ground just enough to cause white dots in his vision to appear before he rolled to find the creature standing over him and to hear Jack shouting his name as he raced over and started swinging his weapon at the large creature. When the ConjoCrea’s attention was on Jack, Daniel immediately rose and started to run, limping and almost falling again from the pain in his knee, he must have struck it hard when he hit the ground, jarring it bad. Daniel took a deep breath and turned to see how Jack was fairing only to see a dark something jump down and swipe at the monster with claws and teeth then it was gone into the woods once more. About the time Jack was hitting the injured monster the dark blur injured the second monster and Assassin joined the fight, helping Jack to bring both of the beast quickly to their deaths. Daniel sighed and flopped to the ground, gripping a hand around his throbbing knee and the other one holding the wound on his head.

Jack rushed over to him and Daniel looked up as his husband leaned down and pressed a hand to Daniel’s shoulder, “You okay Danny?”

He nodded and Jack helped him to his feet and Daniel leaned heavily against the Colonel as Damnation came running over shouting, as he got close enough.

“How did it get in?” Damnation shouted angrily over the din of the growing crowd. Jack was focused on Daniel who was watching as one of the healers was doing a quick patch job on his knee and his head so he could focus on what was happening and not the buzzing in his brain.

“It attacked the shield,” Jack was saying. “It broke through the shield.”

“Why are the creatures attacking the shield?” Assassin asked after the beast was destroyed and the barrier was restored.

Damnation turned and looked at Jack then Daniel. Sam and Teal’c had joined the party after the beast was put down and the four of them stood together once more.

“Its because of us, isn’t it?” Daniel whispered as he settled his weight evenly on both feet and tested the hurt knee to find it much better. He tested his forehead and found the wound was gone, leaving some blood as the only evidence anything had been wrong. Healers were a nice alternative to concussions and crutches.

“I believe its possible, it was only after they were made aware of your presence here when the attacks happened. I am sorry but it’s going to be too dangerous for you to stay here, its not about our safety its about yours.”

Daniel’s sudden guilt ate at him though he nodded to Damnation. He wanted to pull away from the comfort of Jack’s arms but his husband refused to let him go. He didn’t feel like he deserved the comfort, they had already caused several attacks and he was the one getting hurt all the time. “I’m sorry that we have caused these problems for you.”

Damnation smiled, “You do not know the history of this war, we are the ones who cause our own drama. We have long been the sores on Zarranth’s ass, just itching to be medicated. You did nothing but make them slightly more curious.”

“What are you going to do with us?” Jack asked, more interested in seeing what was going to happen to them.

“Zarkina is already aware of what happened here, she will be coming to bring you to the castle on the island. You will be safer there with her.”

“How could she possibly know what happened here?” Daniel asked, his curiosity never shutting off about this world they were suddenly embroiled in.

Damnation looked a little embarrassed, “When Daniel was injured and brought back to the castle after Amada, Zarkina took a little of his blood so she could keep tabs on him. She was awakened by his pain and reached out to me immediately. Then when she married you to each other, it opened a channel between the four of you to her, only to be used in emergencies. You are willing to fight side by side with us despite not having powers and not being one of us. Zarkina is known for taking good care of her allies and she will do what she needs to do to see you safe.”

Jack shuddered at that and Daniel grinned at his lover. Magic seemed to be the answer to everything in this place and Jack still wasn’t used to it.

“Go back and sleep for a few more hours, then we will get you on the island before the Hunters come here as well, luckily we have not seen them come out this far before.”

Daniel took the extra help back to the tent since his knee seemed to still be a little sore. Daniel settled into bed and Jack helped him out of his pants before climbing in next to him. Daniel curled close to his new husband, listening to Jack’s heartbeat. He tilted his head and kissed the pectoral muscle under his cheek before settling again. Jack wrapped his arm around Daniel’s back and the other played through Daniel’s lengthening hair. It was starting to get a little longer again but then so was Jack’s.

“Another move huh?” Daniel asked.

“Yeah, not that surprising in this world, they are very transient people from what we’ve seen already. Everything about their world is moveable except the island.”

“I learned a lot about the island while I was there, it was magically brought from the water by Zarkina’s mother and her coven, I guess that’s what they might be called. It has a shield around the whole of the island, like the small shields they have around the camps.”

“Did you meet her mother then?” Jack asked, actually interested in the chatter. Daniel smiled at the thought.

“No, she died when Zarkina was about eighteen. It was right before Zarkina was returning home to ascend to the throne and the whole royal family and her court were killed in a Bounty Hunter strike. Apparently the rumors are that Zarkina’s father was the one that allowed the Hunters into the Valley.”

“Rumors huh? So not much has changed in the world. There is still murder, intrigue and drama.”

“Especially in politics,” Daniel replied, feeling the yawn coming on despite the residual pain in his head. Healing was sometimes an amazing thing but it wasn’t perfect and it didn’t fix everything, he was learning.

“Sleep love, we will talk tomorrow,” Jack said and kissed Daniel’s hair gently. Daniel slipped into a healing sleep and dreamt of warm silk wrapped around him and knowing that it was Jack that was keeping him safe.


	14. Welcome to the Valley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moving Day.... Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extended and Updated 10/08/2015
> 
> Unbeta'ed

Jack watched Daniel’s body move and shift in sleep; keeping his hands steady on his young husband’s body. He couldn’t believe he was married again and he couldn’t believe that Daniel had trusted him enough to say yes. Daniel didn’t fool Jack in the least, he knew the younger man had a hard time believing in forever kind of love, he’d had a life of people forcing him out and constantly leaving him. He had said yes because he loved Jack enough to take a leap of faith.

He lifted his left hand from Daniel’s back to look at the infinity symbol and the words inside of it, believing them as much as when he first saw them. After pushing back the preconceived ideas of being gay and choosing to just focus on loving Daniel here in a place where that label meant nothing, he’d known this was a forever kind of thing. In fact as soon as Love struck them with her metaphorical arrow and opened his eyes to the fact that Daniel felt something for him as well, it was a forever kind of thing. He may not like the magical crap that was always happening in this world and how none of it so far came from advanced technology. That little tidbit of knowledge freaked Jack out a lot more than he wanted others knowing and now he was going to an island that magically sprang from the depths to please the people who lived there, it did not feel him with happiness.

He hugged Daniel tighter to him, listening to the mumbles his lover made against Jack’s chest. He closed his eyes and put away the fear and uncertainty that had become a part of his daily life since coming to this place, he had a cause and a man who he loved more than life itself so he figured that was the best he was going to get. If he had to put up with magic then so be it. He finally let himself drift into sleep.

Jack had no idea how much time passed between falling asleep and waking to Daniel’s lips roving across his chest. What a great way to wake up, he thought as Daniel sucked at one of his nipples. Jack reached up and pulled his husband’s mouth to his for a hot and tender morning kiss. He found he just didn’t care about the possibility of morning breath, as long as he was kissing Daniel. He opened his eyes as he released Daniel’s lips and looked into the man’s blue eyes. “Good morning, my beautiful Danny.”

Daniel grinned wolfishly, “Colonel Jack Jackson.”

Jack barked a laugh with his head thrown back at the smirk on Daniel’s face, “That is not my name.”

Daniel pouted prettily which made Jack reach up and take his husband’s lips in another kiss. Daniel sat up, “Well I don’t know about Daniel O’Neill.”

“Hyphenate?” Jack offered, honestly interested in this silly conversation. There was no paperwork to fill out, no legalities of belongings to worry about, he was sure their apartments would be cleared out and the leases would be released after the four of them were considered MIA. SGC personnel would go through their belongings and pack up everything so they could be sold off or saved by the base.

“Stop thinking about it, love,” Daniel told Jack as he nudged the older man’s shoulder.

“Huh?” Jack asked unintelligently.

“What happened to us at home, stop worrying about it. There is nothing we can do about it besides argue on how to hyphenate our last names,” then Daniel winked at him and got out of bed.

“Where you going so fast, Dr. Jackson-O’Neill?”

“We are supposed to be moving to the island and we should be ready to go for when the queen gets here, Colonel O’Neill- Jackson. She has spent too much of her time being our personal magical taxi.”

Jack rolled his eyes at the sense that Daniel was making. Here he was hoping for some fooling around first thing in the morning, “Yeah okay Danny.” He struggled out of the bed, finding his shoes and socks as well as one of the loose tunic shirts they were recently given by the village. Daniel as well dressed in a light cream tunic and his BDU pants and boots. They took a few moments to get completely dressed again before meeting in the middle of the room to kiss again.

Daniel’s arms wrapped around Jack’s shoulders to keep their bodies plastered together as they caressed each other’s mouths for long moments before they heard someone clearing their throat at the door. Both men turned to find a grinning Carter waiting for them.

“Holy Hannah, you guys are good at that,” she stated as she fanned herself and winked. Daniel grinned at her then kissed Jack once more before they all left the tent and joined Teal’c for some breakfast.

Their guardians joined them one last time. There was no need for specific topics so Jack joked with the others about fighting techniques and who was going to eat dirt in their next scuffle while Daniel and Sam chatted quietly about who knew what since Jack had stopped trying to figure that mystery out a long time ago. It seemed that the completely different area of focus for Daniel and Sam had never stopped either of them from being capable of babbling on about various topics for hours on end, using words that Jack didn’t know or chose not to learn. Jack was glad they had each other here, just as he was pleased with Teal’c being here, his quiet and reserved presence a welcome companion in this hectic world.

“It’s been fun,” Assassin stated as their meal started winding down.

“I doubt that,” Jack responded with a dry laugh.

“No really, it’s been a long time since we have been able to coexist with Regis without harming them. It’s also been a long time since we were allowed to be around other Vannas or see the queen. It has been a great opportunity to show them that many of us want to be a safe part of the world again despite what Love did to you.”

“Regis?” Daniel asked.

“People who were born of earth.”

“I keep meaning to ask about your separation from the rest of the Vannas,” Daniel started.

Assassin nodded, “I get that about you. You love questions and answers and learning.”

“Very much so,” Daniel grinned.

“This is a perfect world for you then, too many questions and not enough answers. We are Infidels because we have at one time or another hurt people or fellow Vannas, we are sent to Damnation who is considered our leader as well as our jailer. He is the one who must kill us if we cannot find a way to coexist with humans. He hasn’t had to do that for a long time, since the death of the prior queen. Zarkina has accepted us for people who made mistakes, not evil beings.”

“Is that why Love and her minions were treated so badly after they messed with us?” Daniel asked.

Assassin nodded, “It too important for us not to make those kinds of mistakes. One of the biggest tools we have in our defense is the ability to live among the earth born humans because if they knew we were different then they will automatically take us to our enemy.”

“Well if you have the safety of the shields and the island, why mix with the earth humans at all?” Jack asked.

“That is a question for Lady Zarkina, I could care less about the humans but she wishes that they were not pawns in one man’s world of hate.”

“As one of those humans, I would have to agree,” Jack stated not appreciating Assassin’s opinion.

The other man nodded, “I understand but you have to realize many of the Vannas and almost all the Infidels have been targeted from birth by the people born of this planet. Zarranth has on more than one occasion found Damnation’s camp, offered a truce only to kill many citizens before Damnation realized what was happening. We are considered the weak links of our people, those to be broken and turned against our people. We are trying to change that mindset.”

“And you are succeeding, my friend,” Zarkina stated as she moved to stand close to them and settled a hand on Assassin’s shoulder. The young man looked abashed by her touch and attention. Everyone immediately stood to bow before her. Jack watched her reaction, always finding them to be interesting as well as entertaining. She rolled her eyes and waited for everyone to look up at her before she was able to ask them to rise once more.

“Are you ready to see your new home?” she asked Jack and the rest of SG-1.

They all nodded and went to grab their various small packs of belongings. When they rejoined Zarkina she looked to Jack and Daniel, “I have already sent your bed ahead for your room; it’s my understanding that Jack made it for your return Daniel?”

Daniel blushed, “Yes milady, as a wedding gift.”

“Then I am glad you will have it in your new room.” She reached out and motioned for them to touch her. Jack laid a gently palm against her outreached hand, Daniel wrapped his hand around Jack’s wrist as Sam laid her hand over Jack’s palm and Teal’c covered Sam’s hand with his. His much larger hand dwarfed the rest of them; dark on light skin and Jack was suddenly and strangely mesmerized by the contrast of them.

Zarkina smiled and turned to look at Damnation, “See you soon brother, we cannot allow Zarcorp to ruthlessly attack our camps any longer. It is time to stand and fight.”

They transported but the last thing they saw was Damnation smiling that demented looking grin that said he was really good at hurting people and he was about to start working. Then they opened their eyes on the beauty of their new home, The Sky Manor on the Island of Power and home of the Vannas.

 

Daniel stood looking up at the castle he’d been to several days before. Again he stood there in awe of the construction; he knew that Zara-Faye and her people built the fortified building slowly and together. He knew from Zarkina’s stories that it was the first building to be finished on the island, soon followed by the much smaller buildings that housed the other royal families as well as the school, and training facilities. This was the first place in the Vannas world that was permanent and Zarkina did everything to make sure it was safe for those who made it their home.

As it would be for them from now on, Daniel was sick of running on this new world. He wanted to actually feel safe, though Jack’s presence always made him feel safe. He knew that he loved Jack and was pretty sure Jack loved him in return but their lives had been one trauma after another and it was hard to discern how much of what they were feeling was connected to that fact.

Here in the presence of the queen and protected by hundreds of shields from various Vannas, SG-1 might actually have a chance to make a life here together. Daniel didn’t know what the future held for them but he hoped that Jack would always be a part of it. As long as the older man was with him, Daniel felt like he could deal with anything.

“I get the sense that this place is big,” Sam said as she looked around.

“Ya think?” Jack responded caustically.

Daniel nudged his husband’s shoulder in response. Zarkina grinned at them and led them inside. The entry way was vast as Daniel remembered and he was determined to show Jack later on the throne room, it was one of his favorite spot in the castle so far, like a small microcosm of the Vannas world. It was fascinating to watch in Daniel’s opinion, with the running and play-fighting children, the various every day squabbles and people just going about their day in the same place with one another.

Zarkina kept walking forward and they followed behind. Daniel watched as a Sir William walked up to her from somewhere off the side of the entry and grabbed her into his waiting arms. They kissed passionately, like they had been separated for years instead of hours, maybe even minutes. Daniel knew that Zarkina had teleported to retrieve them so the Queen hadn’t been gone very long. Jack cleared his throat after a few seconds but the other couple didn’t seem interested in pulling away from each other. Daniel couldn’t take his eyes off of them as the embrace continued and then he noticed something strange.

Zarkina’s hair turned white blonde which was a stark change for the black and silver. Then Sir William’s body shifted smaller and leaner. Daniel rubbed his eyes and looked again, now Zarkina’s skin was losing it tanned pigment. Then the kiss was over and they returned to their original forms. Jack was starting to breathe heavily next to Daniel and he turned to Jack, to attempt to bring his focus back on something other than whatever was happening in front of them.

“What the hell was that?” Jack demanded of the rulers even as he took a few settling breaths though his hand stayed tightly gripped in Daniel’s hand.

Zarkina looked at him in confusion, Sir William glared at Jack. “Watch how you speak to her,” he demanded.

“You know what buddy, tell me what the hell just happened here to the two of you and maybe I’ll think about it!” Daniel stepped forward, ready to play mediator so his spouse didn’t end up in the dungeon because of his tone, sooner or later it was going to stop being funny to Zarkina or like they were seeing now, her husband was going to take offense.

Zarkina stepped towards them again and motioned for William to calm down and the man nodded but crossed his arms and just looked menacing. “Please let us explain.”

Daniel took his cue from the king and relaxed as well. As long as no one was going to jail Daniel was happy to wait for an explanation. Jack motioned for her to continue.

“The Vannas are born with another being within us that gives us our abilities.”

Jack started backing away at that news, “You’re Goa’uld!” he shouted. Daniel tried to touch his husband, to calm him. The idea that these people who had been protecting them were anything like their old enemy was hard to believe. Jack pulled away from Daniel, backing away and holding up his hands to ward off everyone. He looked around the room, obviously trying to find something to defend himself even as he tried to keep his eyes on the queen. Daniel looked to Teal’c and Sam but the other members of their team had taken up defensive stances and watched the couple warily. Daniel groaned in annoyance, they’d been with these people for over two weeks now and no one had done anything to harm them, they were nothing like the Goa’uld nor were they like the Tok’ra, they were too giving and compassionate. Though the Tok’ra were the Tau’ri allies, they were not compassionate, even Sam’s father had always been at the mercy of his symbiot Selmac and its long winded opinions, to the point that he turned his back on people, even his daughter for the sake of Selmak’s people.

“I only know what Daniel has told me of these Goa’uld and I promise that is not what we are. We are born this way, many of us are not powerful enough to contain an awakened personality but it is how we care magic. It is a true symbiotic relationship between those of us with Awakened Magis. William has an awakened personality as well, our Magis were lovers and soul mates before the Vannas and Magis joined into one body. There is really too much history to go into right now, just trust in the knowledge that we mean you no harm, we cannot take control of others with this power. We are not egomaniacal gods.”

William snorted and Zarkina glared at him, making the man wipe the look of amusement off his face but Daniel turned away from the royal couple to speak to Jack, to see how he was taking the news at the moment and sighed when he realized it wasn’t a good sign that Jack was pressed against the far wall. Daniel stepped closer to his husband, his hand outstretched so Jack might find something else to focus on besides the magical shape shifting couple from across the room.

Zarkina moved as well, too quickly to be helpful and she reached out to lay a gentle hand on Jack’s shoulder. He flinched at the touch but thankfully did not pull away, “I promise you, Zara doesn’t control me, she was excited to share a moment of connection with her mate through mine and William’s kiss. I should have realized this would cause such a reaction and warned you, I have only mentioned Zara in passing and never realized I did not explain.”

Jack nodded but started trying to pull away from Zarkina’s hand. She nodded and locked her gaze with Daniel. He nodded, understanding that he needed to be the one to convince his lover. He walked up close to his Colonel, getting into his space and hoping that would distract Jack from his confusion and indignation. He reached out and touched the man’s face, “Jack, you okay?”

Jack looked at Daniel finally, brown eyes locking on blue. “We can’t escape them Danny! How do we know this isn’t just the reincarnation of the Goa’uld with a different story? We can’t know, all we do know is they have something inside them too!”

Daniel took a couple deep breaths and waited for Jack to follow his lead, keeping him from hyperventilating again before he started speaking gently but firmly hoping that the balance was the right thing for his husband at the moment, “Jack, they are not the Goa’uld, they have no interest in taking us as hosts or make us into slaves. They are trying to help the world; you have seen the truth that humans here are the ones doing awful things to each other and killing innocents in the process of trying to be right. We have been here with them, I have been here to see Zarkina through a treaty and she did nothing but treat them with the upmost respect and everyone we have come into contact with has done what they can to keep us from harm’s way. Why would they do that if they were Goa’uld?”

Jack stared into Daniel’s eyes and the archeologist just tried to convey with his eyes and his touch that Jack wasn’t alone, that they were safe here. “How can we be sure? Maybe this is like when Hathor pretended that we were in the future and they told each of us that SG-1 was dead. This could just be another trick!” he was shouting now, waving his arms around sporadically, forcing Daniel to release him and take a small step back to avoid getting hit.

“Then how did they change the outside world, Jack? We have slept in their presence, we have been injured and kidnapped already and they only acted to protect or save us. Come on love, see the logical conclusion of the information you have.”

Jack glared at him for that, he didn’t want to think logically but if they were going to survive here on this planet then they needed to believe that they were living among friends and allies.

“Daniel’s right, sir,” Sam chimed in. Daniel smiled his thanks, she’d been unsure as well. Teal’c was still concerned if his protective arm around Sam’s shoulders was any indication. Daniel could understand caution; he needed someone to be since his philosophy in life was to trust everyone until they gave him a reason not to. That’s one of the many reasons that Jack and Teal’c are great warriors. It also why Daniel and Sam needed their partners because without them the two scientists would’ve been killed for their naiveté long ago, it was especially true for Daniel since Sam had the Air Force training as well to back up her scientific curiosity.

“It is true O’Neill that these people have acted in our best interests so far,” Teal’c stated. It was more than Daniel had expected from the wary man. Daniel turned to look at Jack again who was calming once more. Daniel leaned forward; unsure of the response he might get but pressed his lips to Jack’s in a short and sweet kiss before they turned back to Zarkina and Sir William who seemed to be waiting very patiently. These people must have had something more important to do than coddle a bunch of people out of their time but Zarkina continued to surprise them all with her compassion and care. She did the work of servants and taxi services, she traveled to speak to her allies instead of sending others, and this was a ruler that Daniel could see himself serving without much hesitation if he was being completely honest with himself.

“Okay, you are all right. They have done nothing but protect us and care for us. Could we just keep the shape shifting to a minimum please?”

Zarkina shushed her chuckling husband. “What?” Daniel asked them with a smile. He was still holding Jack’s hand and felt it shudder in shock and even more fear when Sir William disappeared and in his place was a very large wolf with black pelt and silver eyes, it was clearly the king in another form.

“I think I need to sit,” Jack said as he sank down to the floor against the wall, pulling Daniel back with him unless he wanted to let go which Daniel did not. He refused to release Daniel’s hand, forcing Jack to keep his hand up in a semi-awkward position but it seemed that was less worrisome than actually letting go of Daniel’s hand at the moment as well.

Zarkina was scolding her spouse as he returned to his human form and Daniel turned to kneel in front of Jack, sitting between the older man’s knees. He didn’t say anything as Zarkina hissed her anger at her chuckling husband, “Seriously William, why do you have to make my job that much harder!” William didn’t respond as his laughter was full bodied and almost brought him to his knees with hands wrapped around his stomach. The queen was still shouting and two other people walked in on the chaos. Daniel looked up as they did and was about to return his attention to Jack when he double a double take and then chuckled at the mental joke of a double take after seeing what he was really seeing in front of him.

There were two queens and two Williams

“What the hell?” he asked, flopping down in the space between Jack’s legs as he was suddenly done with the shocks as well. There was only so much a person could deal with before they felt like they were going crazy. Daniel apparently just found his.

“Daniel, Jack, Sam and Teal’c; this is my sister Z’Asana and her husband Sir Winslow though everyone calls him Sir Steph.”

“You have twins and you married twins?” Sam asked, “Interesting.”

Zarkina stared at the blonde physicist, “Why do you think that is interesting?”

“Did you do it on purpose, to create doubles for yourself?” Sam asked.

Zarkina laughed, Daniel considered their luck that she had such an interesting sense of humor because members of SG-1 were constantly saying things that should have been considered rude and would have gotten a swift smack across the face from most of the other royalty they’d met over the years. “The Merrick children were bound to the Sky children in arranged marriages when we were sent away for some long winded reasons to which you can see me about later if you must. San and Steph were together a long time, our younger brother was married to their sister as well but they chose to separate several years ago though she is still a part of our family.”

“Damnation was married?” Daniel asked, confused. From what little he’d seen of Damnation, he would have figured the man was swinging more towards those of the male influence and he hadn’t ever lived on the island according to the informational tidbits he shared with Daniel and Jack.

Zarkina shook her head, “Vane is my half-brother, and he has two sisters. There is also another half-sister but San and I have a full-blooded brother, Adrian.”

“Will we meet him as well?” Teal’c asked.

The queen shrugged and Daniel wondered about the sadness that settled on her face as she answered, “I don’t know, he is traveling at the moment but he returns home everyone once and a while. Since you are going to be living here for the time being, I am sure it will happen sooner or later.”

Daniel turned to Jack since they were both calm again, “Can we get off the floor love?” he asked gently.

Jack nodded and Daniel got to his feet before helping Jack up as well so the older man wouldn’t have to kneel on his bad knees. He watched his lover, keeping eye contact for a minute before he started to turn away from Jack. Then without any warning, Jack pulled him back around and kissed Daniel. The younger man didn’t really feel like pushing away, though he didn’t really like public displays of affection, he felt like Jack need this. He could see the desperation in his husband’s eyes so he just sank into the feeling of Jack’s lips for a few moments. He slipped into the taste of Jack, there was honestly nothing like it in the world. He felt the Colonel’s tongue slip against his for a moment before Jack pulled away, ending the kiss before leaning forward so their foreheads touched as they both tried to slow their breathing again. Daniel realized that he was standing flush against his lover, and could feel the hammering of Jack’s heartbeat against his own. His arms were wrapped around Jack’s neck, gripping the fabric of his shirt along the middle of his back though he didn’t remember gripping him so tightly. Daniel pulled away from Jack, embarrassed as he looked around.

Sam was blushing; Teal’c was smirking just a little, as was Zarkina. The others just looked confused at the display. The twins they just met have missed everything that SG-1 has gone through since arriving in this time. For Jack, everything had changed for him from his beliefs about the world, the allies standing before them being very similar to the monsters they left behind, not to mention his sexuality.

“You okay love?” Daniel asked as he looked back at those dark and warm eyes.

“You were the only thing I ever wished to change, what we were to each other and what we could be. With everything else heading to Oz, I had to make sure this thing between us hadn’t changed again.”

Daniel hugged his husband and whispered gently into Jack’s ear as his fingers stayed gripped in the back of Jack’s neck cradling the man’s head gently, “Having you here with me, as my partner and lover and amazingly enough my husband made all the other weird stuff worth it. I love you Colonel, I have for a long time remember?”

Jack nodded and leaned in for another quick kiss, “I love you Danny,” he whispered against Daniel’s lips.

Daniel smiled a watery smile, never getting tired of those three words. As long as Jack loved him he could deal with anything, including doppelganger royalty and monsters and symbiotic magical people.

“I am glad we were all here to see that,” Zarkina said with a cheeky grin as she fanned herself which wasn’t completely for show since her face was flushed at the moment. “William, meet me later?” she asked with a wink. He smiled back and walked towards his twin, the two men standing together was disconcerting. They were identical though William’s hair was loose around his shoulders, cut to right above the broad shoulders while Steph’s hair was tied back in a tie at his neck. Steph seemed to be dour as well, where William seemed to have a lighter take on life. That seemed a contradiction in Daniel’s opinion because William was undoubtedly more important and as such had more of a strain on his time.

Z’Asana walked forward to stand next to Zarkina, “I am going to be answering any of your concerns after today. Zarkina seems determined to take you to your rooms but one of my main responsibilities in the castle is to care for the guests living here.”

“I am Daniel Jackson-O’Neill,” he said with a wink to Jack who smiled a little which Daniel was glad to see as the tension leaked out of Jack. It wouldn’t be the end to the stress and concerns brought on by today’s discoveries but Jack was at his best when he was smiling and flippant in public, they could deal with any leftover fallout in the privacy of their quarters.

Jack looked to the woman, “Jack O’Neill-Jackson here, his husband.” The word made Daniel smile again, it wasn’t just that Jack could claim their relationship and speak openly about their partnership but he did it without reservation and Daniel knew a lot of that had to do with living in a world that who you slept with didn’t matter, there were bigger concerns than that here, it took away the stigma that Jack had feared.

“Congratulations, how long have you been together?” Z’Asana asked with a smile. She was very friendly but then so was Zarkina and it could very well be connected to the fact that they were the people’s royalty, Daniel recollected the fact that Zarkina and her husband were one with the people, he had no doubt the sister and brother were the same.

“We have been together for about ten days, married for like two days.”

It was fun watching Z’Asana stare at them in confusion. She turned to her sister, “They were the ones you married?” she asked.

Zarkina nodded, “They were affected by Love and her minions. Apparently these four have been in love with each other for a long time, Samantha Carter and Teal’c were married to each other as well.”

Z’Asana smiled to the other couple of SG-1.

“Do you have another person inside you too?” Jack asked.

“Jack!” Daniel snapped with a small burst of laughter then quickly covered it when Lady Z’Asana glared at him. Daniel couldn’t help it though; Jack’s mouth and the sass that came out of it was one of those weird little quirks that Daniel had fallen in love with.

Z’Asana looked at Zarkina who shrugged and spoke up, “That’s just Jack, he’s not being rude on purpose.”

Daniel snickered at that; Jack glared at him then turned back to the other woman.

“Only Zarkina has an awakened version of Zara within her, we are a part of Zara’s _Magis_ line but she only has the power to awaken in one of us.”

“No shape shifting then?” Jack asked.

“Well—“ she started but Jack cut her off.

“Please, I already saw a really big wolf today,” Jack said with a shudder.

“William showing off?” Z’Asana asked her sister.

Zarkina nodded, “Let’s get you guys upstairs and settled. We are going to be making lunch in a few hours and would love to have you meet the rest of the extended family that lives here right now.”

They all nodded and followed Zarkina up the stairs, Z’Asana and the brothers walked off to do something else. Daniel was glad, they didn’t need to have the whole royal family wandering around with them, and it was bad enough the queen of the whole island was going with them.

Are you ready to see your rooms?” Zarkina asked.

Daniel held onto Jack’s hand, as they kept moving, he was tired and just wanted to be in Jack’s arms for a while.


	15. Brunch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some fluff and laughter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extended and Updated 10/8/2015
> 
> Unbeta'ed

Zarkina led the team up the stairs and to the right, and stopped at the door he remembered when Daniel had been brought back to be healed after Amada took him. Jack was pleased they weren’t going to be farther into the large building because he would have gotten lost and after everything he’d seen, he didn’t want to deal with getting lost with no way to contact anyone. As it was he didn’t think he was going to let Daniel out of his sight for a while.

She opened the door into the large foyer remembered with the couches, tables and chairs. He knew there was a bedroom on both sides, one for him and Daniel and the other for Teal’c and Sam. Zarkina nodded to them and Sam started roaming around under the watchful gaze of her husband while Daniel walkd straight to the door to their room and opened it, finding their bed in there as promised. Daniel turned back to Jack with a happy smile. He also knew each of the bedrooms had a bathroom with very similar amenities similar to the ones they had left back in 2001. There was a toilet looking bowl and a bath with a shower attached. “Wow, I didn’t expect to find something like this here,” Jack told Zarkina who was standing just outside their room.

“We have similar plumbing technology and we replicated it here but the waste is magically taken care of so there is no harm to the ground beneath us. The water is fresh and clean, and wonderfully warm.”

“Why does Damnation live in camps again?” Jack asked.

Zarkina gave him a look that said she understood what he was really saying. “I offered the Infidels a home here but Vane believed it was too soon and I have to agree with him after the way Love used her abilities on you without you knowing it. Our people were trained since birth to steer clear of Infidels, that they were the evil part of having Magis, many believed they could be turned by being close to one of them. These are stereotypes and prejudice that are not going to leave people over night.”

Jack nodded, he understood about that. That’s one of the many reasons he’d never been brave enough to ask Daniel about his feelings. Gay men in the military would be killed or beat at every opportunity and there was the possible dishonorable discharge and DADT to consider. He’d never found the courage to look past those challenges to the true love he found for Daniel. He was thankful to Love and her interference, there was nothing he wouldn’t do for Daniel and that was always true even back on earth but it was under the guise of friendship and ‘no man left behind’ policy. Now he could be honest about how alive he felt because of the archeologist. There had been such a long time that he didn’t know how to be alive anymore and then the sneezing professor walked through the door and proved himself to be a pain in the ass, brilliant, caring man that he was.

Jack watched as Daniel moved around the large room, the bed was in the center of the room but there was also a mirror on a table in front of a bowl for water presumably. There was also a desk and chair on the other side of the room as well as a chest of drawers next to the door. Watching Daniel touch everything in the room, feeling the give of the bed and the hard wood of the furniture and suddenly the room felt overly warm.

Zarkina chuckled, “Well I will leave you to whatever you are about to do and please do not concern yourself about the noise since the walls are spelled to be sound proof unless there is danger.” Then she winked and walked out of the bedroom, walking out of their apartment as well. She closed the outer door behind her and Jack realized that Sam and Teal’c were already closed up in their bedroom as well.

Jack grinned, well they all seemed to be of like minds and strangely Jack didn’t really have a hard time with having Sam and Teal’c so close, as a team on off world missions they were always close to each other, and this was actually plenty of room for his comfort zone. He turned back to Daniel, only to find his young husband already on the bed with his shirt off and his pants unbuttoned, Jack barely heard the thump of Daniel’s fallen boots as he zeroed in on all that skin bared to him.

Jack slipped out of his shoes and pulled his shirt up and over his head quickly before he dove into the bed and took Daniel’s mouth in a searing kiss. Jack’s arousal grew quickly as Daniel’s hands latched over his shoulders and the younger man thrust his hips into Jack’s groin. He moaned thinking it was amazing that they had spent a goodly amount of time since arriving on this planet making love to each other and they didn’t seem to be getting enough.

This first orgasm was going to go quickly, Jack could tell by his lover’s panting moans and how hard his erection was. He was desperate to have all of his skin lined up with Daniel’s and do it now.

He slipped his pants down past his hips and did the same for Daniel, bringing their cocks together in a wonderful friction. Jack moaned again and released Daniel’s lips enough to say, “You are my beautiful Danny!”

Daniel tried to mumble something in return when Jack latched his lips on the younger man’s once more. He knew what Daniel was going to say and that nickname whenever Daniel said it sent a jolt straight to Jack’s groin and he wanted to hold on for a few more seconds. Daniel was panting hard from the combined action of Jack’s hand, their touching cocks and his lips.

Jack brought his other hand up to Daniel’s face, touching his lover gently as he pulled back a little to look at the younger man, there was nothing hotter to Jack than watching Daniel in pleasure. He noticed the markings made by the bonding ceremony and the wedding band on his hand and his strokes quickened just as Daniel whispered into his ear, “Colonel Jack is mine!”

With twin shouts, they came all over Daniel’s stomach and Jack’s hand. Jack collapsed beside Daniel and chuckled, “Wow that just keeps getting better doesn’t it?”

Daniel nodded as he turned on his side and smiled at Jack. “We could go and take a bath together?”

Jack was intrigued by that idea, he wasn’t really one for lounging in a tub full of bacteria infested water but the idea of seeing water lapping at Daniel’s skin and move as he touched his husband had his cock twitching in interest. He waited a few more minutes so his heart rate would slow a little more before he wandered into the bathroom and spent the next five minutes figuring out how to turn on the water and then how to make it warm and then pouring cold water in when it was scalding.

Finally is was perfect and he turned to find Daniel leaning against the doorframe with that hot mess all over his abdomen and an erection straining for some attention, Jack grinned as he walked over to his lover. He knelt down in front of the younger man.

“Jack, no, your knees!” Daniel automatically cautioned even as his eyes dilated in pleasure.

“I am fine Danny, the only pain I am suffering from is this need I have. I don’t seem to be able to fight it and I am thinking I don’t want to.”

Daniel smiled, touching Jack’s cheek gently, “Oh, what’s that love?”

“You said it babe, its love! I love you so damn much Danny!” And once more before Daniel could speak, Jack’s mouth sank down over his erection and sucked hard. Pulling back to lap at the tip and down the sides. He watched Daniel’s stomach and leg muscles contract in response and Daniel’s hands gripped at Jack’s shoulder and the doorframe.

“Geez Jack, you trying to kill me!”

Jack chuckled around his mouthful and reached up with one hand to rub across Daniel’s distended nipple, squeezing it before moving to the other one as well. Daniel reached out to tangle their fingers together so the younger man could hold on tight. Jack continued pleasuring Daniel, listened to the sounds his lover made as he came again. This served to bring Daniel to his knees in front of Jack who moved away from the confused and satiated archeologist.

“Jack, let me touch you baby. I am dying to touch you!”

“I am enjoying this session of worshipping my beloved husband, come with me.”

Daniel groaned as he forced himself to follow Jack and they both stood next to the tub. Jack helped him into the deep recess of the tub and Daniel moaned as the warm water enveloped his body. Jack watched the man sigh blissfully and smiled, he loved seeing Daniel happy in any way. The Colonel smiled and stepped in behind Daniel, slipping down into the water. Daniel leaned back against Jack’s chest and he took his time cleaning Daniel’s chest before running his hands up and through Daniel’s shaggy hair. Daniel leaned back into him, reaching back as he turned his head to take Jack’s lips in a gentle kiss. Jack moaned into Daniel’s mouth, he felt his husband’s tongue slip into his mouth and Jack reveled in the feeling.

Jack pulled back and grinned, “Best thing I ever did, asking you to marry me.”

“Yeah? Both times?” Daniel asked.

“Definitely, though that first time was a little rough,” Jack replied and kissed Daniel again before the archeologist settled back against Jack’s shoulder. The Colonel loved the feeling of Daniel all wrapped up in his arms and pressed against him from shoulder to hips.

“Best thing I have done in my whole life, telling you yes.”

Jack sighed, “This is nice, only with you of course.”

“You better not be bathing with anyone besides me,” Daniel said with a laugh.

Jack chuckled, “Of course, my sweet husband. You still want to touch me?”

Daniel twisted around, sloshing the water around in his enthusiasm, causing Jack to snort water up his nose when he laughed. “Yes.” Daniel immediately dove for Jack’s lips as he maneuvered his legs over Jack’s lap. Jack moaned into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Daniel’s back, slipping his hands below the surface and used the moisture to slip his finger inside Daniel and start stretching him. Daniel groaned into Jack’s mouth and pulled away to line his mouth up against Jack’s throat. Jack sucked in his breath as Daniel lapped at Jack’s nipple and used his teeth to bring it to a point. He moved to repeat the action on the other bud as Jack slipped another finger inside and scissor them to stretch Daniel. Jack gritted his teeth, his erection was so hard he was going to have a difficult time holding on once he was inside his lover.

“Move it O’Neill!” Daniel snapped out and Jack smiled as he pulled his fingers out and lined up his aching cock and slipped inside, the water helping the journey as well as how Daniel was relaxed already. Jack groaned as Daniel laid his head back in ecstasy as the water wavered around their flushed bodies. Jack watched as Daniel shuddered in his arms, he just tightened his arms around the man, tilting Daniel’s face and took his husband’s mouth again.

“You are always so deliciously tight, my beautiful Danny.”

“You fill me completely, now please move.”

Jack complied with a grin, taking Daniel’s hands in his and they rocked in the water. Jack shuddered as he tried to hold off his orgasm, Daniel was making those noises in the back of his throat that turned Jack on, and he was moving up and down on Jack’s lap. It was more than he could stand but he refused to come alone, he reached below the surface of the water and gripped Daniel’s hard cock and stroked it quickly. There was nothing stopping Jack from coming when Daniel leaned down and nipped at Jack’s neck. Jack grunted and came inside his lover just as Daniel leaned down again and kissed Jack gently, in satiation and love rather than the desire and passion of a minute before.

Jack chuckled into Daniel’s skin, “You know, I could get to like baths.”

Daniel barked out a laugh, “Yeah, that’s good because we have to do this again. For now thought we should probably get ready for lunch.”

They washed up quickly, helping each other out of the tub and into clothes. Zarkina had provided them with suitable attire. Daniel buttoned up Jack’s vest and smoothed it down for him. Jack helped Daniel with his belt and they couldn’t stop touching each other. They each wore leather pants, boots with a white shirt and a dark burgundy vest over the top. Jack looked his lover up and down before he leaned into Daniel’s body and kissed him again. Daniel smiled and pushed Jack away from him, “Don’t start or we will never leave.”

Jack grinned as Daniel took his hand and pulled them out of their room. Teal’c and Sam were settled in the living area, dressed much like Daniel and Jack were except Sam was wearing a colorful skirt and blouse. She was happy sitting underneath her husband’s comforting arm. “Are we ready to go eat, sir?” Sam asked them.

Jack rolled his eyes, “Carter, its Jack!”

“Then its Sam, Sir.”

Daniel laughed at their antics. They all left their room together, walking down the stairs and found either Zarkina or her sister waiting for them. “Well we are still waiting for Akina and William but let me show you to the dining room.”

So this was Z’Asana.

Jack tried to find some differences in the sisters so he would be better prepared to know which one he was dealing with. She was wearing more ‘royal attire’, black leggings and a long blouse that was shades of blue that got darker as it went down to the tips of her fingers and her hips. She also wore knee high boots in a soft brown. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and the ends were ringlets that he figured she worked really hard to make them look natural.

Zarkina had the silver highlights in her hair and she never wore anything that could be remotely royal attire. She was also much more fun then Z’Asana seemed to be so far.

They all walked into another one of the smaller rooms off the side of the stairs and found a table burdened with a lot of food. There were a lot of people sitting around the table, munching on vegetables and bread and some meat. There was no shortage of food and everything looked delicious. Jack was surprised to see Desire and Lust sitting at the table.

“What are you guys doing here, I thought you had to stay with Damnation?” Jack asked them, suddenly worried about his emotions and urges being his own.

“Don’t worry, Jack O’Neill, we are controlling our abilities much better now. Its more difficult when we are with Love so we were separated to see if that may help.”

“You are here in the castle though?” Daniel asked.

“This is where all first arrivals come to, it takes time and people to build houses for the newcomers so everyone comes here first. It is a long standing tradition of the Vannas people.”

Jack sat down at the table and Daniel settled on his right and Teal’c on his left with Sam next to Teal’c. Daniel reached his hand and entwined his fingers with Jack who smiled at his lover. Z’Asana walked away and Jack watched as she kissed Steph who had walked into the room. He picked her up and spun her around; it was weird to see them together knowing they weren’t Zarkina and Sir William.

Then the queen and her consort walked in as well and again, Jack felt his headache persisting. “It’s like having a hangover without the booze,” he complained to Daniel. The archeologist smiled and kissed Jack’s cheek before they stood and nodded to the ruler.

She stopped in front of the table, “Let’s pray,” she said.

Jack stared at her in shock, not expecting some sort of belief in a higher power in these powerful beings before them. It was another difference between the Goa’uld and the Vannas. He didn’t have a problem with religion, he also didn’t feel the desperate need to have one, and any inklings he might have had on the subject had been squashed by the death of his son but he bowed his head out of respect anyway. Her mumbled words went into Jack’s ears and out the others then she said, “Please eat.”

Jack turned and filled his plate with the food that was coming around the table, stealing things from Daniel’s plate as he did so just to see the younger man glare at him. Jack chuckled as Daniel finally slapped his hand away. “Hey now, what’s wrong love?”

“Stop stealing my food or I am going to steal all yours!”

You can try Danny but don’t hold your breath,” Jack said and swiped another piece of food. Daniel leaned forward provocatively till his lips were a breath away from Jack’s and the Colonel couldn’t understand the shot of lust that shot down his body at the nearness of his husband, they literally just got done making love and he was ready to lay the man down on this table and do it all again. He leaned in as Sam snickered on the other side of Teal’c, Daniel grinned and backed away quickly and Jack let out a frustrated growl.

“What Carter?” he snapped as the woman continued to giggle even after Teal’c stared her down. She was clearly not frightened of her husband.

“You guys are so cute together, I think its funny that the sneezing scientist totally just stole all your food because you wanted to kiss him,” she was openly laughing now as Jack looked down and found no food on his plate. He gasped and turned to find a grinning gloating Daniel with his hands around a heaping plate of food, most of which had come from Jack’s platter.

“Oh yeah, we’ll see if your proud after this!” he grinned. He pulled Daniel closer to his side with one hand while the other tickled at the soft skin of Daniel’s side and he burst into laughter and gasping breaths. Jack had noticed that Daniel was incredibly sensitive on his sides and assumed correctly that he was incredibly ticklish. Everything at the table stopped and Jack didn’t let it stop the torture for a few seconds more before he stole his food back, kissed Daniel’s panting lips and went back to eating. The room filled with laughter and chatter once more, as if the outburst was nothing out of the ordinary.

Jack couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t heard much of Daniel’s laughter before they came here, it was like this world brought the little boy who was full of life and questions out from behind the workaholic exterior. He remembered the weeks after Sha’re was taken, Daniel in Jack’s guest room screaming in the middle of the night about what Apophis was going to do to her, was already doing to her. Jack remembered climbing into Daniel’s bed, never thinking it was more than just helped Daniel come back down from the adrenaline caused by the nightmare. He would hug Daniel close and then wait until he fell back asleep, many times with Jack’s name on his lips as he thanked him for being there.

A couple years down the path when Sha’re was dead and they were saying their goodbyes the nightmares returned and they had returned for all sorts of different reasons and there had been nothing Jack could do besides talk to him all night long, coax him into trying to sleep a little bit longer and when there was no chance of that he would just fall asleep in the chair next to Daniel’s bed. He didn’t even want to think about the horror caused by Hathor but now Daniel was laughing. He could laugh despite the wacky circumstances they found themselves living in. So Jack smiled and pressed another kiss to the side of Daniel’s head as they both returned to eating, slipping his free hand down under the table once more only this time he passed up holding Jack’s hand to grip his thigh.

“Later,” Daniel promised breathlessly.

Jack smiled and nodded at that, happy that there was going to be a later for them.


	16. Joy and Sorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teal'c is sick but why?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated and extended 10/8/2015
> 
> Unbeta'ed

Daniel watched Jack teach some of the young Vannas boys to play football, or at least a version of it with a distorted air filled ball. He grinned as Jack ruffled one of the teen’s hair before pushing him away and making a run for it with the ball in hand. The group took off after him and their laughter was loud and beautiful. Daniel couldn’t help but think that’s what he was like with Charlie and that thought led directly into a weird one about what might it be like to have one of their own. Daniel frowned, wondering what the hell and where did that come from even as the queen walked up to stand with Daniel on the edge of the arena where Jack was fooling around with the teens between some of their training sessions

“Your husband is good with children, was he a father before you came to be here? I know that Teal’c was but Jack does not seem to share much of himself with anyone besides you,” Zarkina asked, the final sentence said with a smile.

Daniel didn’t know what to say or should say because it wasn’t his story to tell but if she was in his head there was really no chance of hiding anything from her sooner or later, “He had a son but Charlie died a year before I met him, when he was recalled to go through the Stargate, when we first met, he was determined to commit suicide, thankfully he didn’t want to commit homicide as well.”

“Would I be correct in assuming you gave him some reason to change his mind?” she asked as she bumped his shoulder companionably. Zarkina, after the countless days spreading behind them to become weeks they’d been here at the castle had allowed Daniel a unique glimpse into the woman standing next to him. Despite her young age, barely in her twenties, it seemed sometimes that she carried millennia of knowledge and compassion but other times she was only a smiling and sweet woman who just wanted a friend.

“I told him that he didn’t have the right to make the decision for all of us, he changed his mind. I don’t know if we really had anything back then besides some mutual respect, and that was grudgingly given at best but there was enough of something for him to listen and keep himself alive along with the rest of us.”

“From what I have seen from both of you, it is good you have each other. I have seen the laughter and the happiness in you that I think is hard for you to experience. I have watched him strive for something more to be with you, to fight beyond the old ideas from your time and who he thought he was. I know he is still a warrior but he is not only the protector for you and Sam and Teal’c anymore. He has allowed something of this place to become a home to him and the boys love when he plays with them, it breaks up the monotony of the day, I really think you should reconsider that errant thought you had a moment ago.”

Daniel looked at the queen sideways and glared at her when she winked at him. He shouldn’t be surprised that she’d heard that thought somehow but not the other mundane one so he just ignored in and spoke, “I don’t know if we have ever expressed our thanks for what you have done for us. We are alive, safe and together because of you and your people.”

Zarkina smiled, touching Daniel’s shoulder, “It was my pleasure. And now with Jack’s assistance we have been able to demystify some of ZarCorp’s movements because they are based on the limited history or your world’s tactics. Jack and Teal’c are also offering some new weaponless fighting techniques that will come in handy which many of my people do not truly understand because of their powers and as Zarcorp learns more about our abilities the better chance they have of nullifying them for much longer than a couple of minutes. Sam is a marvel, her ability to work through the technology versus magical issues we have been suffering from has been a blessing and as far as she is concerned she has only begun.” Zarkina paused for a second and turned to look at Daniel’s face then spoke again, “You are going to be the most important contribution to my people and this world.”

“My contribution?” Daniel asked as he looked at her with confusion etched on his face.

“You are a scholar; you carry knowledge of cultural history and languages. You can help bring some of that knowledge back to the world; many of those languages have died out even before we came here. This information should be passed on to our people as well as the Regis that we have contacted. This world is devoid of history, they lost so much, and so you are a gift to them as well. We would love to hear what you have to say.”

Daniel smiled shyly, “Really?”

“Of course Daniel, your knowledge in irreplaceable. I was hoping to start three short lessons a week and add on from there. You will earn your keep in trade as the rest of SG-1 is already. We utilize a barter system here, and we work and share everything so no one goes without and this is your contribution.”

He nodded and looked back at Jack who was watching him in concern as the boys scrabbled around him for control of the ball. Daniel nodded to him, letting his concerned lover know he was all right and Jack refocused his attention on the gaggle of teens in front of him, at least Jack could trust him now to say he was good and his husband actually believed him but then he’d been trusting Jack with a lot more of the truth these days. “Of course I will do that, Your Majesty. I love to share my information with others.”

Zarkina reached out and kissed Daniel’s cheek gently and he smiled back at her. “Thank you Daniel, I know you were sad to learn that you could never return home but you are all a gift to my people and this time.”

Suddenly Jack was there, wrapping his arms around Daniel’s waist from behind and kissing his throat. It was a clear marking of territory and Daniel chuckled because his lover seemed to think it was neccesary. Zarkina wasn’t hitting on Daniel; she was a happily married hetero woman. He thought about something she said and asked before she walked away, “How did you know English when you came here?” he blurted out.

Zarkina smiled, “Actually it is a part of a spell, a universal translator of sorts, it is why we never need to worry about speaking other languages and not being understood. Everyone has it but we also through the years have learned an understanding of the common language of English. This translator does not mean we magically can use each and every language, it means we are understood and can be understood, it is a strange thing to explain.”

“It’s magic,” Daniel said with a shrug, made more difficult by the Colonel draped over his shoulders. He nudged at Jack so the sweaty man let up a little while he stared at the queen.

Daniel just rolled his eyes before he turned enough to let Jack kiss him on the lips gently before turning back to Zarkina’s grinning face who spoke again. “Jack O’Neill I would never steal your Danny from you, anyways the love of my life is coming home from his trip soon.”

“You know so much without us ever saying a word, what is that?” Jack demanded but he was grinning this time, a slight improvement on the magic topic for Jack. Daniel shushed him but Zarkina laughed again.

“I promise I don’t peak into your minds on purpose, Zara likes to look. It keeps her from getting me into trouble. Plus pressing as much of your body all over Daniel in front of me means I do not require mind reading capabilities and there is no need to be jealous of the friendship that I share with Your Danny.”

Daniel snickered and Jack nudged him in the side before he focused on the other thing she said, “Your alien counterpart is digging in our brains for kicks and giggles?” Jack asked. Daniel brought his hand up to touch Jack’s arm in comfort, which was still wrapped around his shoulder though he wasn’t draped over Daniel’s body as much anymore. Daniel reveled in the closeness of his husband. He still loved thinking and saying that word about Jack, a part of him still believed that if they ever left this place Jack would leave him no matter what he said but for now Jack loved him and he wasn’t going anywhere.

Zarkina grinned, Daniel chuckled thinking about her unending humor with Jack. “I promise you that Zara does it to anyone that’s around me. It’s partially to keep me safe and partially to keep her entertained. She thinks the both of you are very amusing. Its one of the reasons she doesn’t mess with your emotions anymore.”

“Thank god for that,” Daniel muttered as his body shuddered in memory of Hathor and dealing with Zara the first time. Jack’s arm tightened around Daniel in comfort.

“Look, I will see you tomorrow morning in the throne room and we will get you set up at the training center.”

Daniel nodded and they watched her walk away from them, William was walking towards her and even from a distance Daniel could see the smile on her face and his. It was kind of like the one Daniel always saw in the mirror when he was thinking about Jack.

“Why you going to the training center?” Jack asked as Daniel turned in Jack’s embrace, then Jack’s hands skated around his waist to rest just above his butt in the dip of his spine.

Daniel wrapped his arms around Jack’s neck easily, kissing him gently, “Lady Zarkina offered me a teaching job, I get to put some of my PhD’s to use again.”

“That’s great Danny, I told you that you were going to be so important here!” Jack said excitedly. Jack’s arms tightened around his waist and Daniel pressed himself close and smiled as Jack hopped a little where they stood and Daniel couldn’t stop himself from joining in the silliness.

“I don’t know where I am going to start,” Daniel realized with a start, “The Vannas people wouldn’t know the first thing about the time we came from let alone the world I am going to be taking about.”

“Daniel, I think it’s your class and your subject. I think you should start wherever you would like and you are going to captivate them like you did me.”

Daniel smiled a little at that, “Thanks love but I am pretty sure you napping during my debriefings does not prove I captivated you.” He kissed Jack again then pulled away from his husband’s gentle hold.

Jack groaned and tightened his grip to keep Daniel from escaping, “Now now Danny, I wasn’t napping, I was closing my eyes so I could think about you stripping out of your clothes while you were talking about whatever was on that board. I was thinking there are so many other fun activities we could be enjoying with your very talented mouth, not to mention the stick you used to point with.”

Daniel pressed his hand to his chest, feigning shock at Jack’s scandalizing words especially since he was sure Jack was kidding about the stick thing, “Jonathon O’Neill that is the naughtiest thing I have ever heard you say.”

Jack snickered, “Really? Well I have got to work on that because you make me burn Danny.”

“Hot for teacher huh?” Daniel said with a smile as he pressed himself more firmly into Jack’s body, he didn’t really want to take the teasing very far but being this close to Jack always made him forget everything but the man he called husband. Then suddenly he thought about teaching the class again and grinned as he pressed another kiss to Jack’s lips and whispered into his cheek, “I need to come up with a class plan, can we go to the room?” then before he stopped talking Daniel found he was bouncing in anticipation. It had been so long since he had something to think about when it came to his work, the work that he’d been involved with since he was a small child.

Jack grinned at him but pushed him away gently, “Danny can I ask a favor about this?”

Daniel frowned because despite the smiles and congratulations, that did not sound like a happy Jack, “What’s that?”

“I know this is a good thing and I am happy you are going to have this but promise me something please?”

Daniel smiled, “Anything Jack.”

“We make time for us, no more workaholic Jack and Daniel. We have something here between the two of us, something that meant enough to get married. I am just hoping we can remember that.”

Daniel leaned in close and pressed his lips to Jack’s once more, “Jack, I don’t need the fight anymore. I am learning to see that truthfully in the past, I just want to be happy and happiness has pretty much one requirement and that’s you. I promise I will treat the job as my second priority, you are my first forever.”

Jack grinned, having one of those weird ‘unless’ moments. He thought about a mini Daniel running around, coming before even them with their needs but Jack pushed the thought away. He figured that if Daniel had such a hard time with the marriage proposal, he wasn’t going to like what he’d been thinking of and on lately. So he kissed Daniel one more time before he pushed him away gently, “Go and check out your new office or do whatever you need to do. I’ll stay here with the kids and Teal’c for a little longer, if I go with you I am liable to climb you like a tree.”

Daniel smiled and pressed himself against Jack again, rubbing his hands over Jack’s nipples, his body caressing the rest of him and the older man moaned happily with just a hint of disbelief in his tone, “Really?”

“Oh yeah,” he leaned in to whisper into Daniel’s ear, “I want to take you to our room and lick your whole body then I am going to use my teeth where I used my lips. Would you like me to continue?”

Daniel was breathing heavily as he hardened against Jack’s stomach and groin. “I think we should go get a workout before I go to work.”

Jack smiled, “Let’s go.”

“I love you, Jack!” Daniel responded as Jack tightened his hold on Daniel’s back. His hands drifted down to grope his butt. Jack leaned down and slipped his tongue into Daniel’s mouth. The scientist moaned into the contact and before he desperately pulled away from Jack and raced towards the castle and their room at the top of the stairs.

Jack caught up with Daniel at the door of their apartment; he pushed Daniel against the door and latched their lips together in a passionate kiss that had them thrusting hotly against each other and their breath mingling together.

“Inside now!” Daniel demanded.

Jack grinned, “Bossy!”

Daniel groaned and nodded as they stumbled into the suddenly open door and ran to their bedroom. Jack followed through on his promises and more.

 

It took a couple days to get everything ready for Daniel to start teaching classes but the day had arrived and to say Daniel was excited at the prospect was a bit of an understatement in Jack’s opinion. They were walking away from the castle together, hand in hand towards the training center where Daniel’s new classroom was set for him to begin teaching and it was really interesting because Daniel had never once said anything about teaching to Jack but here he was skipping next to Jack as they walked. It was mostly ridiculous and more than a little out of character but Jack couldn’t help the happy smile that was plastered on his face and didn’t seem eager to leave anytime soon at his lover’s happiness. “Since when, pray tell, are you so happy about teaching?”

Daniel grinned as he looked over to Jack, “Well the first thing is that I like to feel needed and helpful, you know that.”

Jack nodded; he did know that about Daniel. No matter what the guy was doing, the need to feel needed was one of those deep seated things inside of Daniel and most of the time it was on an even and healthy keel. “And?”

Daniel shrugged, “I don’t know Jack, I love that I have knowledge that might not put people to sleep, they want to know and maybe that makes me a little special here. Is that such a bad thing?” Daniel asked as he slowed his pace and started shuffling forward instead of the happy Daniel from a moment before, Jack was looking at guilty Daniel so he jiggled Daniel’s hand and laughed, “Don’t be silly Danny, you are the most wonderful guy and you have something unique and special to offer because you worked for it and now you’re willing to just give it away, I think that makes you all kinds of amazing.”

Daniel flushed and then they were moving forward at a happy quick pace again so Jack fell silent pleased with the knowledge that Daniel was happy with what he was doing here, not missing all the things he’d left behind. Jack had wondered a little bit about going on digs and if Daniel would miss that but now he wondered if the digs was about his parents, not Daniel himself. Jack figured a lot of who Daniel became was because he’d lost them so young and the only thing he knew about them was that they were archeologists.

They made it to the training center a few minutes later and Jack turned towards Daniel and flattened some imaginary creases in Daniel’s vest just so he could touch him again before he leaned in close and they shared a kiss. “Go and show all these people what Dr. Daniel Jackson is capable of.”

Daniel flushed and walked away, moving back for another quick kiss before he rushed into the classroom and turned back inside the door just long enough to whisper “I love you” before he was in the class room and there were people there waiting to be taught something. Zarkina had shared with Daniel and Jack that many people were interested in what Daniel had to offer but for the first couple of classes she was allowing the adults to get a good idea of what Daniel was offering so they could send their children to learn some things at a later time but for now many of them were curious, not only about the subject matter but interested in Daniel as well. Many of the Vannas were getting to know Jack and Teal’c because of their powerless training and Sam because of her work with the magic tech problem but Daniel hadn’t been able yet to dig into what he could offer.

Jack couldn’t stop himself from standing outside the door and listening as Daniel started, “Good morning, I am so pleased you would come and spend some time here learning a little about the history of earth from before you came to be here. I am Doctor Daniel Jackson, but you can call me Daniel. Does anyone have anything they would like to know about me or a particular subject?”

“How did you get here?” one person asked, Jack crossed his arms and leaned against the outside wall and listened as Daniel launched into his explanation.

“Well my team was a part of this organization that found something called a Stargate, it was capable when it is operational of bringing a person through space, from one planet and onto another as long as there is a corresponding gate. It can also malfunction, as it did to send us here.” There was a pause then Daniel said, “Yes?”

“This information you carry, why do you choose to do so?”

“What a great question,” Daniel answered enthusiastically then paused before he started again, “In our world people go to school to learn subjects such as math, science, reasoning skills and how to read and write. Then you choose to continue your education into a field that is much more focused, I had these wonderful parents who took me with them to dig up the remnants of older worlds, generations before mine and I loved being with them and learning about these ruins that only lived in the ground and waited to be discovered. I loved it so I went to school to learn how to be a caretaker for the history of our world, this took a long time but I loved learning and that passion was all I was permitted to keep when my parents died in an accident. Now I get to continue the tradition and hopefully pass some on to you.”

Jack grinned as someone else asked a question he gave a nod and started walking away from the training center and towards one of the places he spent a lot of his time which was the arena, and he did not only teach the boys how to play football, between himself and Teal’c they were learning how to fight against magical people, using those powers against them in any way they could which was also teaching the Vannas who to fight without magic. Zarkina said the reason why it was a helpful skill to learn to be sneaky and efficient without their powers for short bursts of time was because of something Jack had already witness, the Zarcorp hunters had found a way to neutralize powers and defend against some for short periods of time and Zarranth was only going to keep making those methods better and harder for the Vannas and Infidels to combat.

Jack watched people fighting, learning what kinds of powers these people had and constantly figured he was damn lucky they were standing with these people and he could understand that just knowing what they were capable of would definitely made him leery in the past, leery maybe enough to do what Zarcorp was doing, trying to protect themselves but then he thought about the sex slaves and the worlds that were destroyed because Zarcorp didn’t care about anything besides the ultimate destruction of the Vannas people, even as the expense of their own people. So he kept training and learning how to fight side by side, Zarkina would come and speak to him periodically to see what opinions Jack had about battle tactics, and how he might do things so they could possibly surprise Zarcorp and get the upper hand for a little while and Jack found that though he was still concerned about the powers these people possessed, they were very good with the Superman mentality of ‘with great power comes great responsibility’ and then there was Damnation as a police of sorts. So Jack’s concern and fear of the people shifted over the days here on the island into a sort of respect and camaraderie and he got most of that in the arena and at meals in between scuffles and sparring sessions.

He found Teal’c circling around a young student, looked to be about twenty but according to Zarkina, Vannas bodies aged at a slightly accelerated rate, even their learning and retention skills were better, it was the formed theory that the Magis within caused this so Jack figured if the kids was strong enough to be in the arena, his physical age was none of Jack’s concern especially when he’d asked who the youngest Vannas he could train with was and Zarkina stared at him and shrugged, saying ten. Jack’s jaw dropped in shock then she showed him one of his ten year old students and he’d dropped Jack with a swift sweep of the legs so Jack let go of his old ideas and just trained with whomever chose to do so.

 “Hey T, how goes it?” he asked his friend as the Jaffa circled around a student. Jack watched the muscular man as he moved around; avoiding hits and Jack realized that his best friend was moving slower than he normally did. Teal’c also had sweat pouring out across his forehead. The last time he looked that bad a bug had made his stomach a breeding ground with every intention of bursting forth with hundreds of its brothers and sisters.

He walked over and placed himself between Teal’c and the kid who shrugged and moved on to spar with the next available person, another unique value of Vannas life, there were no slackers here at all. Jack pressed a hand to his friend’s shoulder and whispered, “Are you feeling okay, Teal’c?”

“I am uncertain, O’Neill. I have been feeling very ill this morning,” Teal’c responded in his normal calm tone. “I was also unable to Kel’no’reem as I usually do in the evenings.”

“What does Carter say?” Jack asked insistently, Teal’c did not get sick, his larval Goa’uld was supposed to prevent that from happening.

“I thought you were going to start calling her by her name O’Neill,” Teal’c said instead, his quick humor was a small comfort in the face of his sickness.

Jack immediately led Teal’c over to one of the nearby benches and easily nudged his friend to sit down. Teal’c faltered as he was sitting, almost missing the long bench all together and Jack’s eyes widened at the disturbing lack of grace. Jack leaned down in front of his friend, still touching Teal’c on the shoulder. “Zarkina has healers, surely they can see what is happening to you and if it has something to do with Junior.”

“I do not need them to tell me, O’Neill. My symbiot is dying which means I am going to die as well, you know this.”

Jack closed his eyes, rubbing his fingers into his eyelids at the truth in the Jaffa’s words, the fear it caused in Jack reached out and pulled him down until he was hunched over and staring into his friend’s face, “You can’t give up T. Promise me.”

Teal’c gave one resolute nod then Jack was pulling the stumbling Jaffa up and calling out for some help from some of the warriors. Teal’c had too much bulk for him to hold as they walked the distance to the castle and the healers that stayed there. Zarkina was always somewhere in the castle at this time of day because she made herself available to her people just in case they needed something. Not more than an hour he was walking the same path with a happy Daniel and now he was barely holding one of his best friends up, thankfully someone had Teal’c by the other arm and they made the journey in jerking stops and starts until they were pushing into the throne room where Zarkina was standing by her throne and William standing next to her. They were crouched together and talking but straightened as Jack dragged Teal’c into the room.

“Help please?” he called out and the King and Queen moved to them quickly as Jack lost his grip on Teal’c and the big man tumbled to the stone floor with a dull thud. Jack winced at the sound as Zarkina came closer, waving away the curious onlookers and sending someone for healers and supplies.

“What’s going on Jack?” Zarkina asked.

“His snake is dying, can your healers help him?”

“Snake?” the king questioned.

“He carried a larval Goa’uld, it gives him good health and longevity until it ages out or in this case, is dying. He can’t live without it.”

Zarkina frowned before she looked to William, “We need Erica and Alec, they are the strongest. Their strength might be able to restore Teal’c to health.” He nodded and took off and Zarkina nodded some of her protectors over and they helped Teal’c up the stairs and into a sterilized room on the other side across from their apartment. As soon as Teal’c was settled on the bed Jack nodded to Teal’c and turned to their rooms and opened the door to find Carter inside. She was sitting on the couch looking over some paperwork with her feet tucked under her in the cushions. In the colorful skirt and tank top, her hair tucked behind her ears and away from her face, Sam turned looking beautiful and happy then saw the sadness and concern in Jack’s gaze and sobered immediately.

Sam got up and asked in a small and scared voice, “Sir? What’s wrong?”

“Sam, my name is Jack,” he said though it was mostly just to comfort her with the familiar routine of the last couple weeks, he still referred to her mostly as Carter. She stood and walked over to him quickly.

“What’s wrong with him? Where is he?” she demanded, guessing his intention pretty easily.

Jack took her hand in his and some small part of him waited for the zing of attraction he’d felt for her once upon a time but there was nothing there. It allowed him to, without reservation pull her out of the room and into the other where Teal’c was being settled on a large sterile bed. Sam ran over to his side, touching his cheek gently and kissing him on the lips. She spoke softly into his ear and turned to ask Zarkina what was happening. Zarkina turned to Jack again and he realized she didn’t have the words to say what was wrong with her husband, “Junior is sick, dying according to Teal’c.”

Jack’s words immediately caused the slight control Carter had on her emotions to snap and there were quiet tears streaming down her face as she turned back and stayed with Teal’c.

Jack was left bereft with nothing to do, he couldn’t fix this and he supposed there was no assurances in this world about life and death either, magical healers did seem to give them a better chance at a longer life as long as they didn’t get caught by the creatures or the hunters but then he guessed that was no assurance at all. Teal’c could die, it would leave Carter alone and sad, devastated to lose her opportunity at a real life and some happiness because of who Teal’c was and because of decisions made for him at a young age. Which meant the same thing could happen to any of them. Magic wasn’t a fix all, it didn’t undo death, it didn’t keep death from coming for all of them, it only gave more time and that was what modern medicine had done for the world. It was the same only it had dressed up in a false sense of security and that was a hard pill to swallow as he watched Carter cry and Teal’c as he tried to console his new wife.

Jack walked out of the room and headed back down the stairs and out the door. He had to let Daniel know what was happening. He took off running towards the training center and it seemed that the distance between the castle and the center had lengthened. His knees hurt from the exertion though not as badly as he would have thought. He felt like most of his aches and pains from old age were diminishing in this place but he didn’t really have time to think about it as he walked in through the building finally and listened for his lover’s beautiful voice. As he walked, he could hear Danny over the pounding of his heart and it did more to settle the sudden burst of fear that if he let Daniel out of his sight for a second then he would lose him.

“… So from our time, we had a president and lived in a democracy that sometimes seemed like more trouble than it was worth. I have found since coming here that your queen cares more about you than any president ever did from my time. There were monarchies in our time but they were more well known in the ancient societies like Egypt.”

Jack felt bad about interrupting his lover when the man was just getting started but he knocked on the side of the doorframe and Daniel’s blue eyes came up from his small group of students and locked on him. Whatever was in his face clearly told Daniel most of what he needed to know.

“Jack, what happened?”

“It’s Teal’c, Junior is dying for some reason,” Jack stated.

“But that means that he’ll die too,” Daniel said, confusion coloring his words and his eyes glazed over with fear and pain before he shook it off and looked at the small group of people who came to hear him. “I’m sorry everyone…”

“Go Daniel,” one of the people said and Jack held his hand out for Daniel to take. They ran back to the castle in record time and came back to the room where Teal’c lay shuddering on the bed.

“Sam?” Daniel asked. The blonde turned and ran into Daniel’s arms. There were tears shimmering in her eyes, Jack leaned close and wrapped his arms around the two scientists, holding them as tightly has he could, offering what he could.

“Why is he getting so sick so fast?” she cried out in frustration.

“Do you know what’s going on?” Jack asked Zarkina who was standing next to Teal’c.

She was touching Teal’c on the shoulder, her eyes closed. “I do not understand the connection between Teal’c and the creation nor do I understand why it is dying, but I believe with a lot of work and even more recovery we can repair the damage that was done to him when they put the creature in.”

Sam pulled away from Jack and Daniel just enough to look over at Zarkina, “You can save him?” she asked.

Zarkina walked over to Sam, hugging her in comfort. “I believe in Erica and Alec, they will be here soon. He just has to hold on a little longer. We should discuss removing the creature though, I believe it is making him sicker than if he was without it.”

“No!” Teal’c groaned from the bed.

Sam moved quickly to the bedside, “Hey love, what do you mean?”

“If you let it out, it could take a host. Let it die inside me so you will all be safe.”

“No Teal’c, I just found you!” Sam cried out. It was hard for Jack to see her like that, unraveling before their eyes in grief, it reminded him on the first time they ‘lost’ Daniel. “I can’t lose you, I can’t raise this child alone!”

“What?” Jack and Daniel demanded, shocked to the core about the turn of events.

“They just found out yesterday, because of Zara I can feel when a child is first given that seed of life. She’s only a couple days into her pregnancy. They were planning to tell you soon.”

Jack stared at Zarkina then turned back to Sam and Teal’c. The Jaffa was touching Sam’s wet cheek in comfort, his large and dark hand dwarfing her face and making her appear even smaller than she really was.

Daniel pulled away from Jack and walked over to hug Sam tightly. The woman tucked herself against Daniel’s side and cried. “You are going to be okay, so is Teal’c. He’s going to survive this whether he wants to or not.”

Sam chuckled at that, a watery sound to Jack’s ears.

Jack turned to Zarkina, “If we leave the snake in until it dies, he dies too.”

“Then we shall remove it as quickly as possible. It cannot remain within him when Erica starts to repair his body. We will kill the creature humanely, you can be sure of that.”

Jack snorted, “Don’t do it on my account, the snakes all deserve to be dead.”

Zarkina touched Jack’s shoulder, “Stay with your friend, let him know he has much to live for and much to fight for. Erica should arrive soon.”

“Why is this great healer not living here anyway?” Jack asked, trying not to be mean and snarky about it but it was hard to go through this stuff when Janet wasn’t here. That woman could make Jack calm just by her presence because she cared more about them then anyone else in the base, SG-1 had been special to her and Jack knew she would take care of his family, here these people didn’t know them and it seemed like they sometimes did not move with the same urgency that Doc Fraiser had always made look so effortless and comforting all at once.

“She and her husband have a practice just outside the city, they use their skills to save people. I have many healers here for my benefit but Erica and Alec were meant for more than just to be my personal healers.”

Jack nodded and tried to remember to be nice, he wasn’t a Colonel to be barking out orders here. He watched as she walked out of the room, all three of SG-1 sat or paced around the room for a while, especially since they didn’t have anything they could do to help except be with Teal’c to distract them from the problem at hand.

They took turns talking to Teal’c when he was awake, just keeping him company. Healers came in and out every half hour to boost his healing to keep him alive but it was also keeping the snake alive. They needed to get the Goa’uld out so they could begin the real healing before Teal’c was too weak to survive the rebuilding of his immune system. They knew from when Teal’c first came to them in the beginning that modern medicine couldn’t help him, maybe there would be something good about this magical crap if it saved Teal’c and gave him the chance to be human again.

Jack was sitting in one of the couches close to the bed, Daniel cuddled up in his lap. They were tired and strung out, Sam was curled up against Teal’c on the bed and they were all dozing. Jack rubbed his hands up and down his husband’s back. He could feel Daniel’s nose rubbing along his collarbone and his lips grazed against his throat as he shifted on Jack’s chest. Ever since Daniel heard the news, he’d been clinging to Jack and though it was slightly out of character for his husband, Jack was just grateful for the physical contact and the comforting beat of his husband’s heart.

The door shifted open and Zarkina stood there with a short slender woman. She had golden blond hair all the way down her back and blue eyes that rivaled Daniel’s almost and Jack frowned, remembering back to when Amada attacked Daniel as the woman standing with the queen. Another person stepped in as well, a tall man with dirty blonde hair and as thin as a reed. He stood close to the woman and Jack could only guess the man was Alec with Erica that Zarkina said was coming. Both the newcomers walked over and placed a hand over Teal’c, avoiding Sam so they wouldn’t wake her or need to move her. Jack moved Daniel off of him and the younger man mumbled in his sleepy state. Jack kissed Daniel’s head as Daniel resettled on the couch next to Jack before he stood to speak to Zarkina, hoping Daniel would sleep a little longer since he’d been exhausted from all the excitement of preparing his class which he pulled an all-nighter for and concern for Teal’c.

The healers soon joined them and Erica spoke. “I believe that the sooner the snake is out of your friend, the better his chances are. Healing his immune system will take time.”

“Then you should get started,” Jack stated, trying really hard not to through the Colonel voice around but when she raised her eyebrow at him, he figured he didn’t do a very good job containing it. He shrugged apologetically and waited for whatever she was going to say.

“You all need to step out then, I do not think this is going to be easy for him and we are going to have to concentrate.”

Jack nodded, went to Daniel and woke him gently. Daniel stood with understanding when Jack nodded towards the door. Then they turned back and moved towards the bed together and helped Sam to her feet. She sat up sleepily and didn’t realize Daniel was pulling her out of the room immediately but when she did realize it Sam started fighting Daniel. Jack grabbed a hold of her flailing arm so she wouldn’t hit Daniel, “We need to let them do their work, Sam. Teal’c can and will survive but we need to trust them.”

Sam nodded and she let them walk her out of the room, crossing the hallway to their apartment. Daniel and Jack settled the blond scientist on the couch, knowing she probably wouldn’t want to go right to bed which she shared with Teal’c. Jack settled into one of the other couches and Daniel climbed back into his lap once more. Jack sighed in contentment and wondered back to the weeks when Daniel had been injured and kidnapped. He hoped he wouldn’t have to do that again any time soon.

“I remember the first time we saw Teal’c, in his armor getting ready to kill everyone. I asked him to help me save everyone and he did.”

Sam looked over at Jack, “I just think of the care he always had with Ry’ac, he’s going to make a wonderful father. I have never really thought of myself as the woman who wanted a child but as soon as Zarkina told us, I coulnd’t describe how happy I was. This life that we can share here, I know it’s not home and our time but its good and we can be happy here. I just want the chance for Teal’c and I to rise this child together.”

“You will Sam,” Daniel stated sleepily.

“Do you guys think about having children?” Sam asked the men seriously and Jack wondered about the timing, working with the kids had been bringing up all sorts of things and now Sam and Teal’c were expecting.

Instead of waiting to hear that Daniel didn’t want to have children he blurted out instead, “You guys move fast huh?”

Sam rolled her eyes at him and smiled, “It’s not like they have birth control here Sir. Teal’c and I were trying to be careful but apparently that didn’t work.”

Jack smiled, pressing a kiss to the side of Daniel’s face, “Obviously.”

“Having a child for Jack and me, it’s not the same but I had never thought of myself as a father either. I was a workaholic, I was incredibly self-destructive in a lot of ways not to mention I had seen more than my fair share of awful fathers, whether they were absent or abusive. I didn’t want to take the chance, I only tried with Sha’re because it was my duty to deliver an heir, I was going to give her what she wanted.”

Jack gave Daniel a side look after that, he hadn’t said anything about not wanting kids, just that he’d never thought about it before and worried about being a good dad. People who didn’t want to be parents usually didn’t worry about those kinds of things, from Jack’s perspective anyway.

“Well you never know what might be possible here, with magic and all,” Sam replied finally, breaking the overly long silence.

“What you think we should pull some kind of Junior, one of us get knocked up?” Jack asked as a joke, making Daniel snicker a little though he had probably never seen the movie that Jack was referencing, Daniel wasn’t really the movie watching type, unless it was some sort of education show.

Sam just shook her head, “You don’t even want to know if it’s an option?”

Jack shrugged it off, hoping against all unrealistic hopes that Daniel would say something. He didn’t, just continued to hold Jack’s hand and stay silent in his lap, apparently having said all he needed to say on the subject.

Not to many minutes had passed when Sam stood from the couch and declared she was going to sleep, “The pillows will smell like him,” she whispered with a weary sigh so Jack and Daniel stood as well and headed to their bedroom, to wait out the healing process in comfort.

Jack was watching his quiet partner as he changed into some loose sleeping clothes and spoke before he lost his nerve. “I think about it sometimes.”

Daniel’s head snapped up and he frowned at Jack. “Think about what?”

“Daniel, don’t play dumb. It doesn’t work with the PhD’s. I think some part of me wants to try again, I loved getting to be a dad when I could be. I wouldn’t mind seeing what those options might be.”

Daniel gave him an incredulous stare, “What if the only option is one of us carrying the child to term in some weird mail pregnancy story? What if that’s the only option? I can tell you, that doesn’t sound at all appealing to me, and why are we talking about this. We’ve only been married a couple weeks, close to a month but really Jack!”

“Daniel I didn’t mean let’s go do it tonight but I wanted you to know that I had thought about, have been thinking about it. Sam is right, we wouldn’t know unless we asked and maybe there are children here that could use our help, maybe that’s an option. I just was wondering if you were even open to the possibility.”

Daniel finally shook off his surprise paralysis and got into bed, Jack followed and he curled his arms around Jack in a comforting embrace before he whispered, “I’m not saying no, okay?”

Jack smiled, pressed a kiss to the side of Daniel’s head and stayed silent for now.


	17. Golden Opportunity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next step.... Maybe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated and Extended 10/8/2015
> 
> Unbeta'ed

When Zarkina and Erica had stated that Teal’c could recover but it would take time, they were right. Unlike any other time one of them had been healed from something, Teal’c did not bounce back without a scar to show for the work. Daniel slept through the night, Jack’s arms and warmth giving him comfort despite the big conversation they’d had the night before. He wasn’t being a pain about the baby thing, he was sure he wouldn’t mind talking about it but he didn’t want to jump in both feet first like Jack sounded like he did. He didn’t know what it was about this place that seemed to make Jack want to make leap of faith after leap of faith but Daniel wasn’t quite there yet. The fact that Sam and Teal’c were pregnant was sweet and amazing and Daniel couldn’t wait to be an Uncle to their child but he didn’t really know if he wanted to take a chance that fatherhood was going to come down whether he would reenact his mother and father being busy with their digs for a goodly portion of his childhood or the anger and violence from a few of his foster homes. It was hard in adulthood to realize that despite the grand love he had for his parents, they hadn’t been perfect. They had worked and been parents but in a field that was not meant to easily transfer from one to the other.

Daniel wondered if that was the reason why he latched on to Jack, Sam and Teal’c when they started spending time together beyond gate travel because until he and Jack bonded through some traumatic experiences and Sam and he bonded of brain power, he’d not had a family or a place to call him since Melbourne and Claire Jackson were killed while assembling their New York exhibit.

Now he could look into the brown eyes of his Jack and know he had a home for the first time, someone to love him no matter what and someone for him to love. The trouble was that he wondered if he could do right by a child, then again if they were a little bit of Jack or even himself then he figured he could figure it out. It might be a long process but he wondered for the first time if he could do it, then he wondered if he wanted to.

That was pretty much what held Daniel’s attention for the early to midday hours while Teal’c was being healed. They got regular updates, that Erica and Alec were taking turns healing but because Erica was the best, she was conserving her strength for any of the worst areas in the healing process.

Sam paced or sat in her bed, those were the only two things she did all day. Jack and Daniel traded the comfort of their bed in the morning and after breakfast stayed in the living room so they could help Sam in any way they could.

One day turned into two and by then Sam was staying in bed and Daniel felt so strung out and exhausted he felt vaguely reminiscent of the last bender he’d gone on right after Sha’re died, it had caused him so much guilt and anger that the only thing that could alleviate some of it was to drink himself silly, thankfully he’d done it at Jack’s house and when he’d woken up the next morning, it had felt something like what he felt right now. It the moment he was staring into a glass of mint flavored water and hoping he could keep his eyes open until the next update then he was going to bed for a week—or until the next update after that.

Thankfully Jack had left him alone, not bothering him about the baby bomb but then his best friend was sick so he was constantly moving around the room and trying to find something to do other than sit and be useless, something none of them were very good out.

Then there was a knocking on the door and Jack moved over there quickly, opening it to find Zarkina with two small blonde girls. They were both thin and had blue eyes, the one holding Zarkina’s hand had curly blond locks of hair while the other little girl had long straight blonde hair and it was quite a bit longer than curly’s hair. Jack was just standing there at the door and Daniel cleared his throat to help his lover remember some manners, “Lady Zarkina, what can we help you with?”

Jack shook off whatever he was thinking, something about Teal’c possibly before he stepped aside and allowed the little girls to come into the room. Daniel stood and walked over as the girls turned and looked to Zarkina again, “Who are these beautiful girls?” Jack asked, finally breaking the silence again.

“Jack, Daniel; this is my daughter Taylor,” she said patting the curly haired child on the head and then she touched the other child, “And this is Elle, she is Erica and Alec’s daughter. I was hoping you might be able to spend a little time with them, keep them company while we keep working on Teal’c, I have to run some errands and William is training for another hour. I do not want to make you feel like you must but it would help to have Erica so close to her daughter for when they have time to be with her.”

Jack and Daniel were both nodding before she finished speaking, “Of course.”

“We would love to play with them both for a little while, though I don’t suppose you brought toys with you?” Jack asked with a grin. Daniel watched as the worried and contemplative Jack just washed away in the face of Father Jack, someone who let go of everything else in the face of the children’s needs. He kept on smiling as the girls presented bags, undoubtedly overflowing with toys and activities if their happy expressions were any indication.

Zarkina got down on one knee as the girls turned to her, Taylor hugged her first and Daniel noticed that she was quite a bit more reserved than Elle and wondered about it especially since she didn’t really look like King William or the Lady Zarkina. Elle was bouncing up and down in place, just waiting for someone to release her from standing still, which Zarkina did as soon as she hugged Elle and whispered something to one then the other. They both kissed the queen on the cheek before they were off, walking quickly over to the table that was sitting in front of the couch and started tugging out various toys, most of which Daniel would have no idea what to do with them, not because they were alien in nature but mostly because he hadn’t been around children since he left the foster system, except for one or two emergency child births through the Stargate.

Zarkina nodded to them in apparent relief before she walked back out the door so Jack wandered back over to the couch and settled on the edge of the seat and started asking them questions. He wanted to know what they were doing, he asked about the stories they told with the dolls they brought out and Daniel did nothing but watch as the tough Colonel turned into a big teddy bear. He wasn’t surprised by the transition, he’d seen it more than once but it still took the air right from his lungs. This was just something Jack did very well, playing Daddy to a gaggle of children, showing kindness and love through his tone of voice and how he talked with them, he touched the girls on the head and supported them when they did something cool. Daniel couldn’t help but be pulled into Jack’s orbit, he’d never been able to fight that so it was no surprise now but he was curious about his errant thought of maybe babies, babies with Jack, wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe babies would take him on a journey he’d never thought he’d like to travel but he thought maybe it would be like going through the Stargate for the first time: exhilarating and terrifying all in one go. That’s what it was like to be with Jack so it was safe to say that’s what it would be like to have children with Jack.

Daniel moved over to the couch to play with Taylor and Elle as well, wondering about the reserved nature of Taylor as opposed to the outgoing Elle. Taylor every once in a while would pull away, would isolate herself even in the midst of people but Daniel didn’t know enough about her to truly have an opinion so he left it alone. He sat and colored with some crudely mashed together crayons on thick paper, talking about the only stories he knew which of course were about Egypt and other various ancient cultures, the girls paid attention anyway, Jack did too with his cheek leaning against his fist as he watched Daniel talk.

Around lunch time, the girls decided they were hungry to which Daniel walked into the small kitchen and put together some sandwich from the freshly baked bread, cut meat and some vegetables. It was one of the few things they could make in the room since they didn’t have a true heating source, they ate most of their meals in the dining hall with the others in the castle or the kitchen would bring them food if it was requested. For now though Daniel watched as the girls pulled apart the sandwich and ate each of the components separately as they continued to color, he smiled as he munched on his sandwich and listened as they chattered in their small happy voices. He didn’t know how to determine how old they were, looked to be about five or so but in Vannas land that could be two and a half; it was really confusing sometimes so he didn’t worry too much about it.

They were just cleaning up after their meal when there was a knock on the door and Sam appeared for the first time that day, looking at the girls in confusion for a moment before she rushed to the door and opened it. Daniel looked over to see Zarkina standing there with a soft and exhausted smile on her face, whether the queen had any healing powers or not, it had not kept her from being here to support Teal’c and the rest of them whenever she could and the strain it was causing had become much more apparent.

“Samantha, I wanted to let you know that Teal’c survived all the healing and the mending of his immune system. We destroyed the snake creature and he is asking for you.”

Daniel started over to the door as soon as Zarkina started to speak, getting there just in time for Same to sag against the doorframe while her eyes filled with tears at the news and turned to press her face into Daniel’s neck. He hugged her tightly for a moment before she turned back to the queen who was smiling with tears shimmering in her eyes as well.

“Thank you so much for all you continue to do for us,” Sam told the queen. Zarkina nodded before she held out her hand and led Sam into the other room where Teal’c was resting. Daniel smiled then turned back to Jack and the girls who didn’t seem at all phased by Zarkina leaving without them, she would return when she delivered Sam to Teal’c so Daniel just closed the door and returned to their coloring.

It wasn’t long before there was another knock and Jack got up this time while Daniel pressed a gentle hand over Elle’s hair when she looked over and smiled at him. His heart melted a little at the sight and he figured out that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to allow himself to fall into this relationship and this life, he didn’t know if that’s what he wanted but then he’d spent his whole life not knowing what to want or how to ask for it. He didn’t know if being married had been what he wanted and then he’d found himself married to Sha’re for the good of others and for the cultural knowledge staying with her people would carry. He’d married her unknowingly and stayed with her for all the reasons that had little to do with her, there was no doubt to him that he’d cared for her but when he looked at Jack, it hurt to think that he’d called what he’d had with her the same love because it wasn’t. Jack really knew Daniel and loved him all the same and that was special and important.

So maybe it was time for Daniel to stop wondering what he deserved, settling for something less than because he was sure he would fail and it was just better to not try. Jack had taught him that over time, that Daniel deserved to be happy, so why not be happy?

All of these thoughts were bubbling around under the surface in that moment of shared eye contact with Elle, before she jumped up and shouted, “Mommy!” at Erica and Taylor simply started to gather her toys before she lifted her pack and walked over to Zarkina who leaned down to hug her quiet child. Daniel smiled and waved to all of them as with one last thank you to the two men, Zarkina and Erica ushered them out of the room, leaving Jack and Daniel alone in the apartment.

Daniel couldn’t help but walk over to Jack and press himself close for a long hug, Jack wrapping him up in his arms immediately. When Daniel leaned back he could see the confusion on Jack’s face so he kissed his husband and walked back to the couch. Jack followed, sitting down and twisting a little so he was turned towards Daniel on the couch and asked, “You okay Danny?”

He shrugged, “Just you know, having a moment. I know Zarkina knows I was thinking about this which makes me think she sent those cute little girls in here to help me decide and I know it’s not the same as having one of our own, of doing this for real but I just want you to know that I’m not against the idea of being a dad, I see what you are like when you are around kids but I don’t want to have a kid to make you happy, I don’t want to have a kid for any of the wrong reasons. I don’t know anything about raising children but I don’t even know if we have options so I am saying, let’s find out the options.”

Jack reached across the couch, tears of happiness shimmering at the edges of his eyes as he tugged Daniel closer for a kiss. Daniel slipped easily into the caress, pressing a warm hand into Jack’s chest so he could feel the heartbeat under the surface; it soothed him even as his own tripped into a faster rhythm when Jack pressed a little deeper and Daniel opened for him. Daniel was about to reach over and start unbuttoning Jack’s pants when there was a knock at the door, Daniel groaned as Jack stood and walked over to the door.

Daniel stayed where he was; glad they had barely started in case this was about Teal’c, nothing like walking into a ‘hospital’ room with a hard on. He stood and looked over as Jack opened the door to find Love’s lackeys Lust and Desire on the other side though since they were twins Daniel couldn’t really figure out which was which since they had never been formally introduced. To make matters worse, they both had dark wavy hair down to their lower back and wore similar clothing though one was in a blue dress and the other was in a light yellow one. Daniel frowned and wondered again about his willingness to think about fatherhood when he’d been just as concerned about it, “Are you messing with us again?” Daniel demanded before he could stop himself.

Blue dress looked confused yellow dress spoke, “We have been learning control of our pheromones but also Zarkina’s nulls have learned of a way to inhibit our power in a way that does not allow for airborne contraction. It has been difficult to transition but we cannot affect you without physical contact.” They both then raised their hands to show they were both wearing tan gloves almost invisible compared to their skin tone except for the edges and some jewels at the wrist of the gloves. He guessed it was another requirement of their ability to stay in the castle with others and Daniel heaved a sigh of relief.

“We would not be allowed on the castle grounds without it,” Blue dress responded, confirming Daniel’s suspicions.

“We have an offer for the both of you,” yellow dress said again.

“Can we start with which one of you is which?” Jack asked with a wave of his hand, Daniel smiled as he reclaimed his seat on the couch and Jack moved to sit as well after closing the door. The two women walked over and just stood in front of the couch and they all waited for a moment.

“I am called Lust,” blue dress stated, “This is my sister Desire. Helping to lower inhibitions is not the only thing we are capable of, it is just the reason we have been named Infidels.” They watched as both of them lifted their dresses to show off the skin of their outer thigh, Lust’s right and Desire’s left and they say the tribal like tattoo, that Damnation had all over his neck and upper back.

“Whoa, ladies, we are not interested,” Jack barked and they immediately dropped their dresses again.

“That is not the offer we are here for, just showing you we have been marked as Infidels but it is not all we are,” Desire stated. “We can sense the desire in your heart.”

“I thought that was Love’s thing,” Jack asked and Daniel just continued to listen. He felt constantly out of depth because these magical people seemed more than willing and capable of telling Daniel and Jack what they wanted before they had the opportunity to discovery it for themselves, it was really annoying and rude.

Desire shook her head, “No. Love has a specific ability, to show people that they love each other, it really is quite self-explanatory. Lust and I on the other hand had multiple abilities, all to do with inner most desires, physical attraction and as the case may call for it, fertility and the control of our cycles.”

“Whoa again ladies, what are you talking about?” Jack demanded, holding his hands out in a stop motion.

“You are wondering about having children,” Lust responded.

“And you felt the need to come here and talk to us about this incredibly personal thing?” Daniel demanded, fuming because not only do the Vannas have super powers but they were like the nosiest of people he’d ever known.

“As with Love, sometimes it is hard to feel someone’s needs and desires and not do something about it. You are hoping for options and this is one of them. We can both control our fertility cycles, you can easily give us the essence of your seed and we can bear the children you so desire,” Daniel listened to Desire as she spoke and crossed his arms, pleased a little bit because there was an option to consider but just as equally annoyed that they would come here without permission or request and drop the answer in their laps. He didn’t know if he was ready to take that step but here it was confusing Daniel and making him feel a lot pressured by the three people in the room whether they were pressuring him or not.

“We would carry them to term, hand them over and give you some milk for a time then they would be yours. We would never have a claim on them; they would be your children. And we can accomplish this without sex, just a little bit of magical fertility.”

“Well we just started discussing this last night, it’s not something that we are making a decision on right now,” Jack responded, Daniel tried to hide the sigh of relief but with Jack so close the Colonel could feel the tension slipping out of him even though he knew that Jack was thinking about latching onto this right now despite Daniel’s possible misgivings.

“What does it entail?” Daniel asked suddenly, figuring it would be better to have all the details first.

“Your seed, a spell and about one hundred and fifty days will give you the children you so wish to have.”

“One hundred and fifty days?” Jack questioned and Daniel frowned, knowing that was a fast pregnancy, “Women in our time were pregnant for nine to ten months which is about twice that.”

“Vannas offspring grow at a slightly faster rate, something that we are slightly aware of because of our connection to the humans of this world. It is normal for not only the pregnancy to be one hundred and fifty days but also despite the fact that we celebrate the anniversary of our births, we progress to adulthood must faster as well.” Daniel and Jack were left staring at Desire after she stopped speaking, Daniel knew that Jack had already been aware of the fact that Vannas children aged quicker but neither of them could have guessed that started in utero.

Then something clicked inside Jack because he held up a finger and pointed at the twins, “If you do carry a child for us, what are the chances they will be magical?” Daniel’s eyes widened, he hadn’t even considered that, glad that Jack had. He didn’t know if that would sway either one of them in the end but it was good information to have.

Desire shrugged nonchalantly, “They won’t be very powerful if they have powers at all because you don’t have powers. If for some strange twist of fate they do have more power then at least here among the Vannas, you will have help with them.”

“Thank you, this has given us a lot to think about it, does your offer have a time limit on it?” Jack asked and both women shook their heads before they walked back out of the room and closed the door behind them.

Daniel turned and faced Jack, “Well we wanted an option, that’s one.”

Jack smiled and reached out to hold Daniel’s hand, pressing a kiss to Daniel’s knuckles, “Let me know when and if you ever think you want to take them up on it, okay?”

Daniel frowned, “You’re not going to tell me all the ways this is great and we should do it?” he asked gently.

Jack shook his head, “You know how I feel about this Danny and children are a big deal. This is our chance to have a family but I already talked you into marriage really quickly, I don’t want to keep doing that with you for our whole lives together. We have the option and right now, I think that’s enough for me though I am probably getting pretty close to fifty, if we want to be around for all of it, we would want to start soon I suppose.”

Daniel nodded and looked his husband up and down with a little grin on his face, “You don’t look fifty.”

Jack snickered while he pressed a hand down on his chest, as if he was straightening his clothes while he preened with good reason. Daniel stood and reached a hand down and waiting for Jack to take it, “You wanna go pretend we can get pregnant all by ourselves?”

Jack was up and racing to the bedroom, throwing his shirt off before Daniel could even move. He followed Jack and closed the door, giving them the privacy required for some simulated baby-making activities. Daniel smiled at the thought before he started taking his clothes off, putting babies and surrogates and everything out of his mind besides Jack and their bed.


	18. If Wishes Were Babies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel thinks long and hard about the next step, into a family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated and Extended 10/8/2015
> 
> Unbeta'ed

Jack held Daniel in his arms for a few more minutes before he had to get up and get moving, thinking about the conversation they’d had about children the day Teal’c got a clean bill of health and they spoke to the twins, time had just started slipping by and he wondered again what Daniel was thinking or feeling about that particular subject. He hadn’t brought it up since then, giving Daniel the time he so clearly needed about this. Daniel worked and Jack worked, they both spent time with the various children of the castle, and watched as Sam’s belly just started to pooch out and all the happiness of making it through their first trimester with no known problems. Erica’s younger brother, Reese was staying in the castle right now to help keep an eye on Sam while Erica was traveling with her husband and daughter.

Today was going to be another day with the quiet Taylor Sky-Merrick for Jack and Daniel since they both were taking the day from training and working to help out the queen. It had been three months since Teal’c got sick and his snake had been removed and killed and though Daniel hadn’t whispered a word about what was on his mind, Jack found himself okay with the wait only because he knew Daniel wanted to make the choice for his own reasons, the ones he believed were fair and right. In the meantime, Daniel had taken a definite shine to Taylor and though she was still a quiet little girl most of the time for who knows what reason, she smiled at Daniel and whispered her answers to him. She had reached out to Daniel, almost touching more than once though she hadn’t yet. Jack wanted to ask the queen about her, especially since genetics-wise, Taylor did not appear to be Zarkina and William’s child but who know what she’d say or wouldn’t say in front of Taylor so he hadn’t gotten the chance.

“Why you awake so early on our day off,” Daniel muttered, causing Jack to jump. He had no idea Daniel was even close to being awake, he’d learned that Daniel could pop out of bed when it was necessary but if not then he was going to hit the snooze metaphorically as many times as possible.

He chuckled and pressed a kiss into the top of Daniel’s head where is was resting on Jack’s chest, “Just thinking.”

“About?” Daniel asked, only slightly interested and only because Daniel was awake now because Jack was awake.

“Stuff.”

“What kind of stuff?” Daniel asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes a little before he tilted his head back and those bright blue eyes caught and held Jack’s gaze.

“Babies,” he finally said, breaking his own vow of silence on the subject in the face of Daniel’s loving gaze.

“Whose babies?” Daniel muttered back before he pushed himself up off of Jack’s chest and looked down at him. For the second day in a row Daniel didn’t reach for his glasses, something about the magic and the healing of this place had not only given some vitality to Jack, especially in his bum knees but Daniel didn’t need his glasses much anymore. It was weird to see his lover without their presence but nice all the same.

“Our maybe babies,” Jack said sheepishly.

Daniel nodded in understanding then moved to curl up next to Jack again and Jack sighed in relief, he wasn’t sure broaching the topic was going to be a good idea but he couldn’t help thinking that the desire wasn’t losing steam for him and he was just testing the water with Daniel now.

“You have been incredibly patient about this Jack and I love you for that. I have loved spending time with the children in the town, here in the castle and especially Taylor even though she is like the quietest toddler ever.”

Jack nodded though he knew she was a little older than toddler anyway but that wasn’t really the point right now and Daniel didn’t really know the differences. To be honest, Jack barely knew the difference and the Vannas were a little different than regular kids from back in their time. He also wasn’t going to talk until Daniel was done saying what he needed to say. Jack got the sense that a ‘but’ was coming, like ‘I love spending time with kids but I don’t actually want any of them for myself’. Jack was hopeful but he’d known there had been a chance that Daniel would never agree to kids, they weren’t in danger of getting pregnant and Daniel had said himself that he didn’t ever think he could be a dad.

“I think if we are going to do this then we need to be sure the twins are going to hold up their end of the bargain, they essentially drugged us and I don’t want to be taken advantage of, nor do I want to end up in the middle of some magical custody battle down the line after the child.”

Jack was nodded solemnly for about half of that explaniotn before he realized what Daniel was saying. He looked up and caught sight of Daniel’s smiling face before he jerked him forward and pressed a kiss to Daniel’s willing mouth. Daniel laughed into the kiss, forcing them apart before their teeth clashed together.

“You really mean it?” Jack asked, half afraid this was some sort of dream.

If it was, he didn’t want to wake up.

“We do this together right?” Daniel asked.

Jack nodded, “Of course Danny, you and me together against whatever comes at us.”

“You promise to make time for me, for us?” Daniel asked gently, holding Jack’s hand in between his.

“Try and stop me,” Jack responded with a leer and a waggle of his eyebrows.

“Then let’s talk to the queen about our legal  and other concerns then we’ll go ahead with it.”

Jack leaned forward and pulled Daniel into a tight hug before they sat up and looked at each other. Jack wondered for a second before he spoke, “Who do we want the first kid to be? Yours or mine?” he asked and Daniel frowned.

“Actually that’s a good question, when they offered this; they made it sound like we should or could get them both pregnant at the same time. Is that what we want?”

Jack thought about having two children, sure it would be twice the work for a first time parent and Jack was pretty out of practice himself as well but he found he wasn’t deterred by the thought. “Well we don’t ever know there is a guarantee they will get pregnant, we could both try and whoever gets pregnant was supposed to get pregnant.”

“Did you forget that they said something about having control over their fertility. It sounds a lot like a done deal with whatever we try.”

Jack was left to ponder that as Daniel fell silent. “So maybe we just take care of having two kids at once, make it even between the two of us and I have always wanted a big family, I’m Irish you know.”

Daniel snickered at that, “Didn’t they also usually have so much family they couldn’t all be fed?”

“I am offended you think I would allow that to happen!” Daniel chuckled at that, “I had two brothers growing up, sure we rarely saw eye to eye on anything but we were the family and I would’ve kept having children if Charlie hadn’t died, Sara and I kept trying but it just didn’t happen,” Jack responded as he tucked Daniel into his side and held him tightly. He figured a little extra affection was deserved since the other man was going to give him everything he’d ever wanted for most of his life.

“Okay, I think we should go for it, after we talk to the queen,” Daniel said again and Jack leaned in close to press his lips to Daniel’s in an open mouthed kiss. The kiss morphed quickly into some heavy petting then before too long their clothes were being removed and heavy petting moved rapidly into intense lovemaking while Jack tried to show his partner how much he was loved and respected him, how much this meant to Jack.

When they were panting and coming down, they wobbled to the bathroom and showered together and got dressed before leaving their apartment. They walked downstairs to the dining tables in the throne room, waving to Zarkina, Taylor and the King who were seated a couple tables down eating with their body doubles and a few other people including Erica and Alec with their daughter Elle.

Actually if Jack had his way he and Daniel would eat in their apartment, with maybe Sam and Teal’c to join them since the castle cooks brought food to them all the time but since Daniel loved to be around people, Jack attempted to get them to several meals in the hall so he got the chance to be around his students and the other Vannas. Jack served himself from the bread and meat as well as some eggs from some kind of bird, he didn’t really care since they tasted pretty much like chicken, Jack had learned that he didn’t care about all the cool ways this world had come to be, despite the fact that it was still Earth so whenever Daniel started asking questions about flora and fauna he just blocked out the chatter and focused on his food.

A few minutes later, Teal’c and Sam sat down across from them at the table. Jack winced at the paleness of Sam’s complexion and Daniel reached out to offer her a slice of warmed bread, it was barely toast but it was simple and might help with the nausea. Sam took it gratefully and they started chatting.

Several bites of bread later Sam finally looked a little better and she opened her mouth and finally spoke, “What you guys doing today?”

“Well we need to talk to the queen about something, get her opinion then we are spending a little time with little Lady Taylor.”

“And that would be?” Sam asked, clearly referring to the first part of what Jack said.

Daniel looked at Jack who nodded since they didn’t really feel the need to have secrets from their friends, “Desire and Lust offered us a chance to have children.”

Sam and Teal’c stared at them in shock.

“What do you think about that?” Jack asked apprehensively.

Sam’s face split into a smile; “You mean our children are going to grow up together?” she asked excitedly and tried to stand then with a hand to her mouth she resumed her seat. Daniel winced in empathy before he walked around the table to hug her gently for a moment. Jack grinned as she patted his arm, desperate to share in the happy news despite the need to vomit that was written all over her face, thankfully they wouldn’t have to do the puking thing to get kids out of the deal though Daniel was going to spoil the twins rotten if they were around him at all during their pregnancy, Jack was pretty sure he could put money on that. He turned to Teal’c looking much healthier than his pregnant wife and he smiled to his friend, waiting to hear what he had to say on the subject.

“I believe that you both would make great fathers,” Teal’c responded simply.

Jack smiled and nodded to his friends. He understood Daniel’s reluctance a couple months ago but all they had done in the past 90 days was fall into a rhythm of a relationship and realize how much of this they had before Love dosed them. The only aspect that had really changed was the sexual one and that was working quite well for them too. Jack didn’t know what it was about this place that seemed to push their lives into hyper drive. Maybe it was because they had no reason to hide and no reason to keep from living. They had waited over three years to be together and now that they were in this world and this time, he was willing to rush head long into choices so he was glad Daniel still had the sense to have a cooling off period before they committed to something as huge as a child. They had longevity in their friendship and love affair now, leaving Daniel with a lot less fear and a willingness to take the leap.

So when they were done with their meal they headed over to the throne where Zarkina and William were standing together with Taylor sitting on the floor with a doll gripped in her arms, even more sullen than normal. Jack frowned down at the top of her curly head before he looked back at Zarkina, “Jack. Daniel. Can I help you with something?”

“How is Taylor feeling today? She doesn’t look very happy,” Jack stated.

Zarkina shrugged, “As you are probably aware, we are not her real parents. We took her in after her parents died, she was there when it happened and she is having more flashes of what she remembers, no longer able to push the memories away.

Daniel leaned down immediately and touched Taylor’s head, bringing her face up to look at him. Jack watched with a little smile on his face as Daniel curled in close to the little girl and whispered to her, “It’s okay to be sad but you know that your mommy and daddy are not going to let anything happen to you. They love you, they are going to take care of you.”

Taylor nodded a little bit, Daniel leaned over and bumped her shoulder a little bit and asked about her doll. Jack allowed Daniel to carry on the mostly one-sided conversation while he looked up at Zarkina and William who were smiling as they watched Daniel’s gentle and quiet enthusiasm soothe the little girl out of her shell.

“We spoke to Desire and Lust a couple months ago. They offered to carry children for us, then give them to us. They say that there is a way to complete it without sex and they would have no claim on the children,” Jack said, figured he should just get it all out on the table. “We were hoping to take them up on the offer but we are a little concerned since our history with them is not exactly rosy.”

Zarkina frowned, pressing a hand to her chin before she nodded and spoke, “It is true that the twins both have the ability to use a fertility spell and some –well you know,” she responded in deference to Taylor who was still listening intently on their conversation.

“So it’s possible then?” Daniel asked.

“Of course, we have other same gender relationships among our people and many of them have found several different methods to reproduce, this is just one of them. If you wish to have children from each of you then the twins offer you the best possible chance because they will be related through their mothers if not through you physically at least. Also as Daniel already knows we can have some sort of legal document detailing the choice they have made to maintain no rights to any children they bear for you.”

Jack looked down to see Daniel nodding and they shared a look before Daniel asked, “Is it true it only takes about one hundred and fifty days for a woman to give birth here?”

“Only Vannas, the _magis_ within changes the growth period, I know that many of the Regis and Vannas couples are pregnant twice that long but with the twins and the fertility charm it would be short and sweet. They would give you the children, share the milk from their bodies but they would be your children to raise and love.”

“Thank you for the information, we have much to think about still,” Daniel responded as he rose from his spot next to Taylor who reached out and touched his arm to stall him.

Daniel stopped moving before he crouched down next to Taylor as the little girl reached out and touched Daniel’s face, and he sat back down quickly so he wouldn’t be hunched over. Jack turned with question in his eyes to Zarkina and William who were watching their child with happy tears in their eyes. “She has not done this for a while, the sadness has done a lot to stunt her powers. She will not hurt him, Taylor is just learning about Daniel right now. She knows you of course but she finds who you are at a deeper level when she touches people.”

Taylor smiled a little when she looked up at Daniel while the other three grown ups crouched down as well to watch the exchange. Taylor whispered still staring into Daniel’s eyes and spoke, “You’re pretty.”

Jack smiled and snorted, the sudden noise breaking Taylor’s concentration with a slight startle and Daniel glared at him a little. “I’m sorry to startle you Taylor, I just happen to agree with you. I tell Danny all the time that he’s beautiful.”

She smiled at Jack a little before she reached out to touch him, she had been sharing time and space with them for months now and she’d never done this. It was interesting to watch her as she snuck out of her self-imposed shell to see what the real Taylor was like. Jack reached up and held the little girl’s hand to his cheek and she smiled, “You are strong and brave, you love Daniel very much. I like that.”

Jack smiled back at her, “I do love him very much.”

She motioned for him to come closer and said in a stage whisper that Daniel would inevitably hear, “He loves you too.”

Jack chuckled at her, “I am glad to hear since I married him.”

“Uncle Vane is like you, he loves men,” she whispered again to Jack.

Jack shrugged and spoke, “I don’t really like men, and I just like Danny.” He had wondered about Damnation’s predilection but had never been brave enough to just blurt it out to the leader of the Infidels and they had left his company before camaraderie had a chance to build around and through the fear brought on by his position and power.

Taylor was continuing her line of questions so he tuned back into her when she asked. “Cause he’s pretty huh?”

“Yeah sure you betcha,” Jack responded while still holding her hand to his cheek and crouched in front of her then laughed when Daniel shoved him a little. He fell over and took Taylor with him accidently when he didn’t have time to release her arm. Luckily the movement backwards had been slow, just inevitable. She sprawled across his chest with an adorable giggle that calmed the distraught parents standing in front of them. Jack helped Taylor back to her feet as she continued to giggle.

He motioned to Zarkina, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pull her with me.”

Zarkina checked over the giggling mass of blonde child but found nothing to worry about, “It’s just fine Jack, we haven’t seen her respond to people like this at all since we got her. Maybe you could take her now and work on this with her, let her know it’s okay to use her powers and communicate with us?”

“I would love to hang out with her now,” Daniel whispered as he helped Jack to brush away imaginary dirt, then Jack watched his lover reached out to press his fingers into Taylor’s mass of blonde curls down the girl’s back. He could see the hint of a daddy in his movements, the strange reverence in his tone and touch and Jack couldn’t wait to see Daniel holding their child in his arms and showering them with all the love and attention he was capable of.

With that, Taylor grabbed her ever present pack of toys and they turned to walk away from the couple who undoubtedly had plenty of Royal things to do but with a glimmer of something visible in King William’s eyes as he looked to his wife, Jack was pretty sure they were going to take advantage of some alone time for some personal business. He shook his head at the thought and they walked away towards the door out of the hall with Taylor walking on her little legs between them. She reached out and took Daniel’s finger in her hand when they got to the steps but she was convinced she needed to climb on her own so they let her despite how long it would take to get up the stairs. It was worth it to see the melting look of adoration on Daniel’s face.

The man was going to be an amazing father.


	19. Little Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gonna be Dads!!! With a little help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated and Extended 10/8/2015
> 
> Unbeta'ed

Daniel couldn’t believe how great it felt to hold Taylor’s little hand in his as he looked over at Jack who smiled back at him. They walked upstairs and to their apartment to find Sam and Teal’c sitting in the living room. Teal’c had his large hand pressed gently into the tight skin over Sam’s belly where they child was growing and Daniel had a hard time keeping the smile off his face that soon they would be doing the same thing with the twins. Sam and Teal’c looked at them when the door opened and Sam smiled, tucking some errant hairs behind her ear, “Good morning Taylor, the baby is moving a little, did you want to feel it?”

Taylor nodded shyly, stepping forward and dropped her pack next to the couch before climbing up and pressing a gentle hand to the side of Sam’s stomach. The little girl stilled as Sam moved her hand gently over to where the baby could be felt, and she smiled. Daniel moved across the room, pulling Jack along with him. Jack settled into one of the armchairs and Daniel squished himself in next to Jack who just smiled his sappy smile and tucked his arm around Daniel’s waist as they watched the child with Sam.

“Your color is coming back a little,” Daniel said to Sam since she didn’t look as pale and like she was going to lose her breakfast like she did a little earlier.

Sam nodded even as she kept her eyes on Taylor, “Erica gave me some ginger and vanilla tea, it is helping with the nausea.”

“Good,” Daniel responded and draped his arm around Jack’s shoulder to sit against him more comfortably.

Then Taylor looked up and locked her gaze with Sam, “You have no magic, neither of you.”

Sam frowned and looked over to Daniel and Jack then back to the little girl, “No, we came from a different place. We don’t have magic in us like the Vannas do.”

“But your baby is going to be special,” Taylor told Sam with a slight frown marring the little girl’s perfect brow.

Daniel frowned and asked since Sam seemed to be frozen where she was at that, “Special?”

“Yes, special.”

Daniel chuckled but he figured that wasn’t going to help Sam who was still looking a little freaked. “Taylor, do you mean the baby has magic?”

She nodded and slipped her hand away from Sam’s stomach, “I do not understand. They have no magic.”

“Well, we’ll ask Erica about it okay?” Daniel offered since both the little girl and Sam looked a little lost at the moment. Teal’c was slowly rubbing his hand up and down her back in comfort. Taylor nodded and went right back to playing with something from her bag, not truly understanding the bomb she just dropped but Sam would have to talk to Erica and Zarkina about it.

It was about an hour later after some quiet coloring and chattering from Taylor when the little girl suddenly perked up and asked, “Can we go play at the arena?”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, honey.”

Taylor pushed her lip out in a pout, which would have convinced Daniel to do whatever the child asked for but Jack seemed to have a little more strength than he did. “Mommy and Daddy take me there all the time when they have to train.”

“Honey I am not your mom and dad, we are not going there to train. I don’t think that would be a safe place for you to be.”

Taylor’s lip started to quiver a little then and Daniel moved to sit on his hands to keep from rushing over and hug the little girl and promise her anything. Jack apparently had this whole tough love thing down better than Daniel had it but then the Colonel had actually had practice at being a dad.

Jack looked back at Daniel with a grin; Daniel glared at him in response. “I think we could probably find something else that we could be doing.”

She shook her head so hard her mass of blond curls flew around her face, causing everyone to smile at the sight. Jack leaned down and talked to her quietly. Daniel and Sam grinned at each other while the only other practiced parent in the room, Teal’c, watched Jack do his thing. After a few minutes of talking quietly, Taylor nodded and they decided to play with some of her dolls and Daniel stepped forward and snuggled down next to her to listen to the simple happy stories she told with them.

They waved Sam and Teal’c off when they left for their healer’s appointment and they just continued their time with the little guest in their living room. Jack talked and hugged the little girl and she came out of her shell in leaps and bounds with them and Daniel couldn’t help but stare a little too long at Jack, amazed by the man he was in love with. He couldn’t believe the kindness and selfless love in him, this was not there child and not their responsibility but it didn’t faze him in the least, he was just present and loving with her.

Jack looked up and caught Daniel staring, crooking his head to the side in confusion at Daniel’s sappy expression. Daniel grinned and whispered across the small expanse of the living room, “I love you, O’Neill.”

Jack grinned that special smile that was reserved for Daniel. “I love you too Danny.”

“My new Mommy and Daddy say that to each other and to me all the time, it’s nice.” They both looked down at the little girl and smiled at her. She hadn’t even looked up from what she was doing.

“They say it all the time because it’s true,” Jack stated as he rubbed her curls. Daniel got up and moved to Jack’s side. He leaned down and kissed Jack gently, pulling away quickly and watched as Jack tried to follow.

“We say it because it’s true,” Daniel said and touched Jack’s cheek as he resettled on the floor behind Taylor and against Jack’s side.

Taylor giggles floated up at his words between them and Daniel grinned, “Jack, I want to start a family with you. I don’t want to say no to any chance we get to have a life and a family together. And I don’t want to wait.”

Jack stared at him like a deer caught in the headlights making Daniel grin, “Are you sure?”

Daniel nodded and Jack pressed his arm around Daniel’s back, aware of Taylor in front of him and just hugged him. Daniel smiled as he leaned his head into Jack’s throat and took in his scent, comforted by the familiar musk. He loved Jack’s lean body and strong arms wrapped around him and there was nothing like how their bodies molded together. Jack leaned back just enough that their eyes met and their foreheads touched gently. “Colonel Jack,” Daniel murmured happily.

“My beautiful Danny,” Jack responded.

Taylor giggled again which made the men focus on her instead of each other. Daniel kissed Jack’s cheek before he returned his attention to the child in front of them. She apparently was done with story time because she was pulling out her squat chunks of ‘crayons’ and some parchment and started coloring so they joined her. Coloring on the parchment at some point degraded to coloring on the hard wood floors, accidentally at first then with a shrug Jack drew a couple of stick figures next to her marks and Taylor smiled a little before they continued on. They both knew that it would be easy to clean up later and having Taylor giggling was more important at the moment. They continued like that for a while before Taylor whispered as if out of nowhere the thought to speak occurred to her, “I saw it happen. I saw the bad men and my new mommy wants me to forget but I can’t.”

It was strange hearing the little girl using contractions, Daniel thought; most of the Vannas didn’t in their speech patterns. He also wondered what she was talking about though when she started speaking again Daniel found himself mentally back peddling and wishing for ignorance about what the little innocent child had suffered.

“The bad people came and made my parents go away. They were all red and I touched them after and they left me,” Taylor said with a heart breaking little sigh and though she wasn’t crying Daniel didn’t know what else to do besides pull her into his lap and hug her.

“Is that why you haven’t been using your abilities?” Daniel whispered the question, he didn’t know much about these magical people but if she’d always felt something through physical contact then touched her mother and father only to feel nothing in return, it would have shaken him and he wasn’t a small defenseless little girl.

She nodded, “New Mommy found me later; she was there to see my mommy and daddy about being friends. She brought me here but I see mommy and daddy when I sleep, I see them lying there with nothing inside. Why did the bed men make them leave?”

“Oh baby girl,” Daniel whispered as he pressed his lips to her head in comfort. Jack pressed into both of them, closing in protective ranks around the little girl for a few minutes until she shook it off and reached for her doll. Daniel handed it to her and waited to see if she had anything else to say but she seemed to be done with the conversation. Moment by moment Taylor shook off the sadness and pain of her past and leaving the grownups lagging behind trying to catch up as she started telling stories to her doll again.

They stayed that way for a few more minutes before there was a knock at the door. Daniel rose slowly from the floor, knowing he wasn’t going to be able to hide the concern that was scrawled all over his face even as he opened the door and found Zarkina on the other side, smiling at him but it shifted quickly. “She talked to you about what happened?” she asked and Daniel frowned at her.

“Despite the fact that she has only been my daughter for a short time, I have learned much about her and you. You look scared and disturbed and pained, what did she tell you?” Zarkina asked.

Daniel turned and looked back to where Jack was staring up at them and Taylor was resolutely ignoring the entrance of her new Mommy. Daniel motioned towards the bedroom and the queen followed him over and he closed them both inside. Daniel relayed what the girl told him and Zarkina stayed quiet for a long time.

“I did not understand how much she saw, she has not talked about it with me and I have just been trying to let her know that she was safe with William and me. I hoped she did not know that much,” Zarkina’s voice was filled with pain and anguish. Daniel reached out and pressed a gentle hand on her upper arm for a moment in sympathy and support. “She seems to allow it out of the box for a moment then shoved it back again,” Daniel replied, remembering her behavior from only moments before. “Maybe just sit with her and play with her, let her speak if she needs to. She felt safe enough here with us but she thinks you want her to forget, she’s clearly smart enough to remember her old parents. I am not a parent yet and I don’t actually have any right to tell you what to do but she was willing to talk to us.”

Zarkina nodded, sheen of tears in her eyes, “There’s something else that happened there that she doesn’t truly understand.”

Daniel frowned and waited.

“She’s the reason the ‘bad men’ went away, she killed them somehow with some hidden ability, either that or two otherwise healthy grown men just fell down and died two rooms over from where she was found huddled next to her parents.”

Of all the things Daniel thought were possible, that was not the thing he was expecting to hear, “Is she dangerous?”

Zarkina shook her head, “We have done what was needed to contain her other abilities when we found the murderers dead as well. We are giving her the time to hopefully work through the feelings but this information will help us with her greatly. We were leading with the assumption that though she attacked in self-defense, she may not have actually witnessed the murders, just the aftermath or even just the sounds of them dying.”

Daniel nodded and he reached out and hugged her, “I can’t imagine what that must be like. I know what it was like to see the accidental death of my parents, but murder. Just keep doing what you’re doing, loving her and keeping her safe.”

With that Daniel released her and they both walked back out to a smiling Jack and a grinning Taylor who waved at the marked up floor with a ‘ta-da’ motion. The queen laughed gently before she reached out and scooped up the little girl who immediately wrapped herself up in the new mom’s arms and squeezed tight.

“Hey so you know a good way to clean this up?” Jack asked and Daniel smiled.

Zarkina nodded, nudged Taylor so she would look down at the mess on their floor, “Wave goodbye to the pretty pictures, next time maybe we should stick to the parchment.” Taylor nodded and waved at the scribbles and stick figures on the floor and then with a wave of her hand the marks were gone, leaving the floor pristine. Jack gave a snappy salute in response.

“Taylor, you ready to see Daddy at the arena?” Zarkina asked.

Taylor glared at Jack, “I told you so,” she griped in her little snarky voice.

Jack held his hands up in surrender, “Honey I am not your father and it was not my right to take you there.”

Zarkina smiled at Jack, “She loves the arena, and all the guys fawn over her. She is royalty in the arena, well since she is our daughter she is royalty everywhere but they love her there.”

“What does she do there?” Daniel asked as he leaned over the queen’s body to give Taylor an awkward goodbye hug.

“William trains with the Markis Alecti and she trains with him,” Zarkina smiled at her daughter.

“He teaches her how to fight?” Daniel asked shocked.

“Not really, they do exercises and treat her like any other warrior which she loves. Thank you both for spending time with her, for a while Will and I thought we would never get her to come out of her shell with anyone besides us and Vane. She adores Uncle Vane.”

“Can we go see Uncle?” Taylor asked excitedly lifting her head from where it had been resting on Zarkina’s shoulder.

“Not today baby, you are going with Daddy remember?”

She nodded then held her hands out to Jack. Daniel’s husband struggled up off the floor and gave her a quick hug before he packed up the remainder of her toys and things before handing that to the queen and Taylor struggled to get down so Zarkina let her. Taylor threw back one more wave and scampered out the door while the queen stayed where she was. Daniel frowned, “Aren’t you going to follow your portable hurricane?”

“Will is waiting for her,” Zarkina responded, “He didn’t want to walk in here without your permission. I don’t have that problem,” she grinned at them.

“Well of course you shouldn’t have that problem, you’re the queen!” Jack responded with a guffaw as he walked over and hugged Daniel a little.

“That’s not why,” Zarkina responded, “You are special to me, all of you. You have become a part of my family here.”

Daniel smiled at the woman, “We’ve decided to go through with our plan, to have children together.”

Zarkina squealed in happiness shocking both men that she could be so girly in her excitement, “I am pleased for you, Desire and Lust both come from strong family lines and they have agreed to give up all rights to the children, please see me before the children are born and we can be sure to put that into writing.”

Daniel and Jack nodded, thanking her for the time and help in their quest for a family. During the six months when Daniel was thinking about everything he’d asked Zarkina about adoption and she’d mentioned that the only way for there to be children to adopt is when children are left behind after raids and accidents. Vannas people are intensely aware of the gift that a child is. It does not keep people from being awful parents, she struggled with that often as queen but people did not get pregnant then choose to give the child up. And thanks to magical birth control, it was almost impossible to have an unwanted pregnancy, the only reason Sam got pregnant was because she hadn’t spoken to anyone about the option.

With that, Zarkina walked out as well and closed the door behind her with one of those annoying knowing smiles on her face, saying ‘I know what you’re thinking’ and honestly Daniel had gotten used to ignoring those looks for the sake of his own sanity. As soon as the door was closed Daniel turned towards his lover and immediately moved towards him. He launched himself into Jack’s arms and pressed his lips enthusiastically against Jack’s surprised mouth. The Colonel lurched backwards a little and laughed as Daniel devoured his lips, sinking his tongue into Jack’s mouth and didn’t have to wait long before Jack was delving into the kiss as well, his arms wrapped around Daniel’s back and pulling him up on his toes.

Daniel pulled away just enough to speak into Jack’s mouth, “I am so turned on right now, watching how good you are with her, what kind of father you would be just makes you even more attractive.”

The older man groaned, “Right backatcha.”

Daniel laughed, reaching down to shove his hand down the front of Jack’s pants. He was glad that many of their clothes were loose and made to be easily discarded especially since they were still making love like it was going out of style. He wrapped his palm and fingers around Jack’s hardening erection and grinned into Jack’s mouth as they kissed again.

“Danny,” Jack muttered and pulled back again, gritting his teeth as Daniel kept rubbing Jack in all the ways that the colonel liked. “You do realize we can’t actually get pregnant without the girls, right?”

Daniel grinned wolfishly, “We can get our DNA ready for them though, over and over and over again.”

Jack laughed and Daniel pulled away his hand and walked towards their bedroom. He pulled off his shirt as he walked and threw it at Jack who followed him quickly. Daniel laughed as Jack caught him around the waist and flipped him down on the bed. Jack slipped his fingers through Daniel’s long hair and smashed their lips together as the passion in the room weighed heavily on their skin, warming them quickly. Daniel pulled at Jack’s shirt, trying to get to his skin without breaking the kiss but with a lusty growl Jack pulled away and stripped out of it quickly. Daniel wrapped his legs around Jack’s waist and they were about to dive back into each other when someone started pounding on the door.

“Go away!” Jack shouted causing Daniel to laugh a little. He dove back to kiss Daniel but the scientist stopped his lover reluctantly so Jack groaned and cursed quite a bit as Daniel released Jack from his hold. Jack leaned down and stole another kiss before he stomped out of the room to go find out what was so important while Daniel put a hand against his aching erection and groaned in pain.

Was it going to be like this for the rest of their lives together, so hot it hurts? Daniel didn’t know what Jack would think but Daniel was praying it would always be like this. They’d been together now for almost four months now, including their separation and when they were injured. Daniel was amazed sometimes at the commitment Jack had thrown himself into with this relationship but then again he remembered what the queen said, they could never undo the knowledge that they were soul mates so why should they ignore the chance to have everything together.

The Stargate program had ruined his chances to ever have a life and family, in Daniel’s opinion though he would never regret his time with them because we wouldn’t have Jack without it but a big part of him was glad they’d been sent to this new time and place where not only was it acceptable but celebrated that Jack loved Daniel and they could have a family together to boot.

He was distracted from his mental wandering when Jack came back into the bedroom with the twins, “Really? You just had to come find us right now?” Daniel shouted even as his body cooled quickly at the sight of Lust and Desire, further convincing him that their abilities really had been nullified.

“We wanted to offer our wombs immediately, we are in a highly fertile state and have already done the necessary spell work, and all we need is your contribution. We figured we could stay in your teammates’ bedroom while you produce the needed material and then we would be close enough to utilize it immediately.”

Daniel stared at Desire, he’d learned enough from their last visit to sort of tell them apart. Then Daniel spoke, forcing his mind forward and through the shock. “Wow, thanks for the performance anxiety.”

Jack winced from behind the twins, “Danny, we can try at least.”

Daniel groaned at the thought of them being so close and waiting for them to climax. Then he thought again about them being so close and got a little hot under the collar, while figuratively since he didn’t have a shirt on anymore.

“Okay,” he said breathlessly, “We’ll try.”

Jack shooed the women out of the room, whispering questions to them before he returned with two tubes. Daniel spread his legs provocatively for Jack as the Colonel walked closer to the bed; he tossed the tubes onto the bed behind Daniel before he pressed his body up against Daniel and ground their hips together. Daniel grinned wickedly and pressed his lips to his husband’s hot mouth in a passionate kiss. Nipping at each other, licking each other and moaning into each other at each new touch.

“The thought of them so close to the room kind of makes me hot Jack. Since when am I an exhibitionist?” Daniel murmured into Jack’s lips. The Colonel laughed at Daniel’s words, obviously not having a problem with his response. Daniel was pleased since he’d thought the response was a little strange.

“You’ll have to be quiet otherwise they are going to know when I touch you in all the right places, when I work you up before I press deep inside you,” Jack whispered into his lover’s ear and Daniel shuddered a little at the words.

He pulled at Jack’s neck until he leaned down and they were kissing again, pushing the whole world into the background and focusing on only each other. Jack easily slipped Daniel’s pants over and off his butt. Daniel lifted his legs so Jack could get rid of the pants all together then got rid of his own.

“What do we have to do?” Daniel whispered into Jack’s lips.

“Save some of our DNA for the girls,” Jack said with a wink.

“Let’s have some babies then,” Daniel said with a grin.

Jack leaned down and gripped Daniel’s aching erection and the scientist groaned at the touch. The Colonel leaned down and licked the tip before he sucked the length into his mouth. Daniel gripped at Jack’s hair, loving the feel of the soft hairs under his fingers. Jack worked him into frenzy quickly, Daniel’s toes curling as the passion rose and his fingers gripped spasmodically at Jack’s head and the bed under him. He could feel one of Jack’s hands gripping at the bottom of his straining cock, holding off his orgasm.

“Stop teasing Jack!” Daniel complained in a growl.

Jack chuckled around his mouthful and Daniel groaned at the feel of the vibration. He could feel his husband fumbling around next to Daniel then grabbed one of the tubes before he slipped his mouth off of Daniel straining body, slipped the tube over the tip of Daniel’s erection and then breached Daniel’s ass quickly and rubbed across his prostrate, Daniel shouted as Jack pulled off of his cock and Daniel’s release filled the tube.

Daniel huffed out his breath, his chest heaving from the strength of his release. He still could see the sparks behind his eyelids and thought he was going to lose consciousness for a minute before his breathing calmed and he looked up just as Jack was putting down the tube gently on the table next to their bed. He hadn’t even felt Jack move away from his body, he’d been that busy trying to return his breathing to normal.

“Danny, that was amazing.”

Daniel sat up and pulled Jack towards him again, kissing Jack’s throat and down to one nipple then the other. Jack moaned in appreciation. Daniel looked up at him, “Are you sure you want to have two at the same time?”

Jack nodded, “Yeah, I want us to both have children and for them to be ours.” Daniel nodded and pulled Jack forward to lie down on the bed. Daniel took his time, licking and sucking all the way down to his ready erection. Daniel grinned and went to work, grabbing the remaining tube in one hand before he worked over his lover. There was nothing more enjoyable to the young man than making this man underneath him squirm in passion. He took his time, worshipping his husband before allowing the man to come into the tube as Daniel kissed his passionately on the mouth once more. When Jack was done, Daniel placed the tube next to the first one and pulled on his pants. Jack got up as well and slipped back into his pants, they each grabbed their own contribution and walked across the apartment and found Lust and Desire waiting for them.

They each took a vial, kissed Daniel and Jack on the cheek and walked for the door. One of them turned back, “We have the room right down the hall, and we will let you know as soon as we are pregnant and if we need some more of your contribution.” The one who spoke had taken Jack’s and the other had Daniel’s DNA. “I will carry Jack O’Neill’s child and Lust will carry Daniel Jackson’s child.”

Desire always seemed to be the one who spoke, the leader of the two. Daniel laughed a little at the thought that Jack’s child was going to be doubly bossy with it coming from both sides genetically.  Daniel watched as Jack sent them on their way before they raced back to the bedroom to finish what they started, hoping they could be making love when their children were being created.


	20. Emissary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel Fluff, couldn't help myself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated and Extended 10/8/2015
> 
> Unbeta'ed

Jack woke to find Daniel was already gone, he knew his husband had class that morning but it was a rare day when Jack didn’t wake up before Daniel who was a notoriously slow morning person.

He sat up, stretching deliciously sore muscles from the night before of lovemaking. It had been about a month since Desire and Lust got pregnant with their children and Daniel was working very hard on several class schedules, which were always full according to Daniel. Jack was so proud of what he was doing and the fact that he had people who wanted to learn what he had to share made Daniel happy as well. Jack was so pleased that Daniel had found something in this world to be passionate about, that he didn’t have to fight anymore. Jack loved him more as a genius and alive rather than someone who goes to battle. And today, Damnation was coming to see Zarkina about some concerns the village had been having and the queen asked that Jack and Teal’c to come along.

He slipped out of bed, walked over to the bathroom to start the shower so the water would warm. It was all simple design plus magical spells so they had learned the hard way that the shower warmed up slowly. He turned to the dresser and grabbed clothes and a towel before opening the door to find someone had left him breakfast in the other room. He walked to the table and started nibbling on a breakfast sandwich, finding a slip of paper with his name on the outside.

He opened it to find Daniel’s beautiful script inside,

_My loving Colonel, as you can see I was up and out of the house before you. It’s strange, I know. I have several classes today and then it’s going to just be you and me this evening. Say hi to Damnation for me. I love you so much, more and more with each day and I missed waking up to your smile this morning and your kisses. I didn’t want to wake you though, since you looked so peaceful. With all my love, enjoy your breakfast my love._

Jack grinned as he shoved the rest of the sandwich in his mouth and hummed in pleasure around the food. He turned back to the bathroom and stripped down to shower quickly, rubbing his skin briskly and running fingers through his slowly turning salt and pepper hair. It was getting a bit long again so he was planning on asking one of the ladies here in the castle to help him cut it again, it was one of the many perks of living in the castle, there was food service as well as various people for haircuts, laundry services and so on. It was much like living in a hotel. Daniel’s semi long hair was getting longer as well and Jack had mentioned more than once that he loved running his fingers through it so Daniel had not cut it since for a while and it was brushing his shoulder now and Jack loved it. He loved wrapping his fingers in the strands as he kissed Daniel, made love to Daniel.

Jack cleared his throat and tried to stop thinking of his spouse otherwise he was going to have to jerk off in the shower and that was never enough anymore. Taking care of his own business just felt empty any more, never enough unless Daniel was touching him.

So he finished scrubbing himself clean before he flicked off the water, climbed out of the tub and dried himself briskly. He changed into pants that were like jeans but they were a little thicker, offering armor against attack, as far as what the seamstress had declared but Jack hadn’t been brave enough to ask someone to take a swipe at him. He pulled on a muscle shirt and a button up with a vest to give him a more formal air as well as the boots he slipped on. They were way more ‘fashionable’ then he would have normally tugged onto his feet but they were comfortable in a world of walking over dirt roads and protective covering for his feet so he put up with it.

He didn’t much care about his clothes matching or looking smart in them but Daniel had gotten into the habit for when he was working official Vannas business to lay clothes out for Jack the night before so everything looked well together. Jack had been a little shocked by the new habit especially with Daniel’s once obsessive affinity for t-shirts and plaid. Jack still did not refer to himself as gay, there was no reason to say it here because this world didn’t believe in labels so he didn’t suddenly give a damn about his clothes and whether or not they all worked together though apparently Daniel enjoyed seeing Jack like this so he didn’t begrudge his partner the chance to help Jack in some small way.

He left his bedroom, walking back out into the apartment where Teal’c was eating the rest of his breakfast, “Good morning T, I believe that was a gift from my spouse. Just so you know,” Jack griped.

Teal’c shrugged, “There seems to be enough for the both of us, O’Neill. I think perhaps both of our mates were diligent in their duties to us this morning.”

Jack shrugged and swiped another sandwich from the tray and thought about that. He didn’t really think of this as some duty that was owed to him as the ‘man’ but them Teal’c came from a completely different kind of world and upbringing, he just hoped Sam and Teal’c didn’t end up fighting about it. They sat together quietly for a few minutes and Jack realized that he hadn’t really gotten to talk to Teal’c about much of anything for a while unless it had to do with going to the arena for training, “How are you T?”

“I find myself rejuvenated despite the concern that the loss of the larvae Goa’uld would see me weakened. I am pleased to be human again.”

Jack grinned, “It was a tough couple of days there but now we are on the other side and grateful to be. How is Sam doing?”

The former Jaffa’s lips twitched into an almost smile causing Jack to grin in return. “Her nausea has abated slightly though she has started eating strange concoctions, which I recall is a natural symptom of carrying a child. She is still enjoying the prospect of upgrading aspects of the castle with the help of the Vannas and magic. We are both pleased at the upcoming birth of our first child, O’Neill. And you? How is your marriage with DanielJackson faring? And your children on the way?”

Jack’s grin turned wistful, wishing Daniel had woken him this morning. He loved beginning the day with a heated make out session or a hot shower together, “Sometimes I can’t believe he was patient enough for us to get here so we could find each other,” Jack said as he rubbed his fingers into the silver tattoo around his ring finger. “I can’t believe I couldn’t find the strength to admit my love for him when I feel how deep it is, why did the job mean so much more than that?”

“As long as you found one another and you are accepted here for your love, what does it matter what came before?”

Jack nodded at that, remembering belatedly that Teal’c had always been an extremely smart guy, “You’re right. It makes me glad in some ways, even though I worry about my family and Sara learning about my death, we came here so we could find each other.”

“You would have never told him how you feel in our time?” Teal’c asked.

Jack shook his head; “I didn’t even know he would feel the same until we were dosed by Love. I was glad when I found out, I know he is still scared sometimes that this will all come tumbling down, a symptom of the life he lived before the SGC but all I can do is keep loving him.”

“I am certain there will not be a reason for concern,” Teal’c said.

“No, it’s like a well, every time I pull from it he just spills more love back in, leaving us both with a never-ending love for one another. That is a well I am pleased will spill over onto our children and thankfully Desire and Lust’s pregnancies are trucking along nicely with no complications.”

“Do you find yourself pleased that we cannot return to our time then?” Teal’c asked.

Jack thought back to all the people they left behind, the war they left behind. The families they all left behind, “I don’t think I could say that, you had a son and a cause to fight for. I am guessing since the Stargate was hidden and obviously not in use, they never went public, which means that it’s possible the end came with the Goa’uld at the lead. I wish we could go home but here we have a chance to live a fulfilling life together, one that we would never have back in our time.”

“I also believe that we should live this life to the fullest, I miss my son Ry’ac but I believe he lived his life to the best of his ability. I wish we could find out more from that time, if the Goa’uld were defeated or not but something tells me that we won’t ever learn anything about it. We have a new cause now.”

“Against humans, go figure,” Jack said with a shake of his head at the irony.

“We should depart for the meeting with Queen Zarkina and Damnation to avoid being late.”

Jack nodded and they both stood and walked out of the apartment. A few minutes later they entered the throne room where Taylor was running around in circles with Damnation watching her like a hawk. Zarkina was sitting in her throne and speaking quietly to Sir William. The royal couple was much like SG-1 most of the time, inseparable.

“Jack, Teal’c how are you guys?” Damnation asked excitedly when he noticed them standing there.

“Good, Damnation how is everyone back home?” Jack asked.

“They are pretty good, where are your wives?” he asked this with a wink. Jack rolled his eyes at the man as Taylor jetted over to hug Jack’s legs then started jumping around Teal’c. Taylor continued to be a presence in their life here in the castle, Daniel loved to babysit and Jack had no problems with it either so she was constantly in their room. It was good to see what some honest communication with her ‘new’ mommy had been able to do for the child. She was more like a normal bouncy happy girl rather than the sullen and quiet child who couldn’t handle the truth of what she’d seen in her old home.

“If you mean Danny and Sam, they are working right now. They are the scientists and the geniuses, Teal’c and I are the brawn.”

“Which is why you’re here,” Zarkina stated with a smile as she walked towards them.

Jack nodded to William who was standing at his wife’s back as per usual. “Why are we here again?” he asked the royal couple.

Zarkina snapped her fingers and someone came striding into the room. He had a buzz cut blonde head of hair, light blue eyes and a glowering expression. He was lean and he was wearing a uniform of some sort. “Jack and Teal’c, This is Kautra Nadio, and Kane these are two of the four people who traveled here from the past. Kautra works for Zarcorp.”

“And he’s here why?” Jack asked cautiously. He was certain that the name of their enemy was Zarcorp or something similar.

“He is one of my moles inside Zarranth’s company; he’s here to give us information on some of Zarranth’s latest movements.”

“Hey I don’t have a lot of time,” Nadio stated caustically even as he waved towards them to let them know he heard the introductions but he was clearly too rude to speak to them.

“Don’t get peevish about this now, you decided to come here!” Zarkina replied in a tone that did everything it needed to do to remind the other man who he was bossing around.

“Ignore them, Nadio is always cranky when he has to teleport away from the city,” Damnation said quietly to Jack and Teal’c before he grabbed Taylor and swung her around the room. Jack watched the playing pair for a few moments while Nadio and Zarkina bickered back and forth and he couldn’t even call it good-natured because there was nothing nice about either of them at the moment.

“Anyway,” Nadio finally stated loud enough to cut off the flying verbal barbs, “Zarranth knows that Zarkina brought you people here to the island and someone let it slip that they were non-magical. He’s deeply curious about why you would bring them here so he really wants them, as a weakest link kind of thing would be my guess. He is attacking several of our small camps, coming closer and closer to the edge of the mainland in his desire to get to them. So far there have been no casualties but that’s just so far. Zarranth has no idea that Zarkina is connected to that town where O’Neill was taken and I think if one of you were ‘kidnapped’ and taken there then we can feed them some answers and you would be safe. Then Zarkina can come ‘rescue’ you again and maybe with the information they have gathered from you then Zarranth might realize that you are nothing more than confused people who have happened to end up in Zarkina’s care. I believe this would help to protect the smaller camps that the Hunters are attacking as they search for information.”

“Kane, are you serious about this? There are so many ways that you would be found out, or the Draw Army or even SG-1. This is not a good idea, they are all expecting children!” Jack knew that the ‘Draw Army’ is what Zarkina called the men who were born into the Zarcorp military machine do to the town that gave their women away into slavery, Orsen and Pagan were a part of that army.

Nadio stared at Teal’c and Jack and then turned to Zarkina in shock, “Are you serious?”

“Teal’c and Samantha are expecting a child; Lust and Desire are carrying children for Jack and Daniel so yes I am serious. We can find another way to alleviate Zarcorp’s curiosity,” Zarkina replied.

“Haven’t they only been here for a short time, how did they have time to impregnate people?”

“You people didn’t really tell us about contraceptives, well that was for Sam anyway. Daniel and I made the choice to have children together. We chose to have a life here since we couldn’t really back home,” Jack replied.

Nadio looked at Jack with a frown marring his forehead. “This is the best way to protect the people who don’t live on the island; they are getting hurt because of you people! Akina, why are you putting Vannas at risk for these people?” he demanded as he circled to glare at the queen.

Zarkina apparently didn’t appreciate the tone or the name. Her eyebrow raised and she stood up straight, making herself taller and more domineering just in that slight straightening of her spine as she spoke, “Kane, do not address me by my given name! You do not have the right or the privilege! Not after what you did! I have given these people sanctuary and they have given back in whatever ways they can.”

Nadio smiled a wicked smile, “What are you going to do Akina, punish me?”

Zarkina walked up to him with a sweet smile on her face and Jack couldn’t wait because he knew looks like that usually came before violence. It did with Danny sometimes when he was at the end of his rope anyway. Nadio didn’t even appear to be worried about it, and then Zarkina punched in him the face. Jack barked out a laugh when Nadio hit the ground and William knelt next to him, “Nadio, why do you insist on baiting her, she has never really needed me to fight her battles for her.”

“I just like when you fight with me in my battles, love,” Zarkina said as she pulled William away from Nadio just as the younger man pushed himself off the ground and dove towards William like he was going to punch the royal man, figuring that might be the safer and less treasonous choice, that was Jack’s theory anyway. He reached out and pulled the younger man away before he made a mistake stupid enough to get in him a cell for a day or two.

Instead he turned and punched Jack across the jaw. The Colonel felt something in his jaw slip out of place and pushed Nadio away from him before he could do anymore damage. As he held his hand to his face, Nadio knocked his feet out from under him and Jack hit the ground hard. He groaned and felt a foot strike him in the side before another body was knocked to the ground, in his pain filled daze, Jack didn’t really care but he hoped it was Nadio.

“O’Neill, do you wish for me to retrieve DanielJackson?” Teal’c asked from a short distance away.

“No, T I am going to be fine when I get my hands on that little bastard!”

“Sorry I cannot allow you guys to wrestle in the throne room.” Zarkina spoke, “I can have the healers fix you up Jack.”

Jack pushed himself off the floor and moved his jaw around until something shifted with a hollow pop and the uncomfortable pressure was whisked away in exchange for a dull throbbing, “No I’m fine. Nothing broken I think.”

Teal’c reached down and hauled Jack to his feet and the Colonel realized that Nadio was indeed on the ground and some force was holding him there. William was standing over him with an evil grin on his face so Jack would have bet money he was doing something and Zarkina looked pretty pleased with her husband and pretty pissed with Nadio all at the same time.

“He shouldn’t have gotten involved, I can’t punch the royalty but nothing is stopping me from going after the outsiders!” Nadio griped from the floor.

“Well the outsider who’s in pain now has no real reason to help you out, you dumb son of a bitch!” Jack snapped as he kept a hand pressed against his cheek, trying to alleviate the pain with some pressure though he wasn’t sure if it was working or not.

“I think I should get DanielJackson,” Teal’c recommended again.

Jack glared at his friend, “I don’t need my husband to run to my aid, and he’s the scholar for crying out loud! Leave him be Teal’c.”

“O’Neill, he will be very upset that you were injured and he wasn’t informed,” Teal’c reasoned with Jack. He couldn’t help but sigh, knowing that Teal’c had a point, even before the love affair all the members of SG-1 took each other’s injuries very personally and they didn’t like being left out of the loop.

“I’ll go let him know, I should get away from this kid before I kill him anyway.”

Teal’c nodded; Jack nodded to Zarkina asking without words if he could leave. She nodded and kept watching as Nadio was struggling on the floor. Jack turned away and groaned as his ribs creaked in agony; the kick to the stomach didn’t do him any favors. Damnation was there, slipping his arm behind Jack’s back and they started walking towards the front of the castle. They walked the short distance to the training center, and even though Jack had walked along this ten-minute walk with Daniel all the time, the pain was making it seem interminable.

“You’re going to be fine Jack, Daniel will make the pain go away,” Damnation said with a snicker. Jack reached back with his hand that was wrapped around Damnation’s shoulder and bopped the younger man in the back of the head. “Hey!”

“Don’t get sassy, young one!”

Damnation laughed and Jack thought for a moment about the first day he’d met Damnation, the harsh man was nowhere to be seen right now and Jack enjoyed the exchange.

“You know, here where you aren’t in charge of other people’s lives and behavior, can we call you Vane?” Jack asked gently, hoping to bring the other man a little slice of peace.

Damnation stopped them outside the training center and grinned a sweet smile that made him look so much younger than he normally looked. “I would like that Jack, now let’s get you into your man’s caring arms.”

They looked away from each other just as Daniel walked outside. Jack nudged away from Vane’s body, realizing belatedly that walking so close together was sure to give Daniel the wrong idea then again pushing away from the man and looking super guilty wasn’t helping either. He winced as he watched the misconception flicker across Daniel’s face right before his eyes, “Danny, I got hurt and Vane was helping me to come let you know what happened.”

When Daniel’s frown deepened he realized his verbal blunder of using Vane’s name probably wouldn’t help the situation, “Vane? Since when did you ever call him Vane?”

Jack knew that quiet tone, and it did not promise any kissing the pain away or breakfast in bed. He winced, “I was just asking him if he would like to be called Vane as opposed to Damnation. Please Danny; don’t think what you’re thinking right now.”

Jealousy and hurt were clear in those beautiful blue eyes that Jack loved drowning in. He stepped forward but Daniel took an equal step back, “Are you okay?”

Jack sighed, “My ribs and jaw are sore, I will live. It would help if you would come over here and kiss it better,” Jack responded seductively. Daniel didn’t smile in response.

“Why don’t you have _Vane_ help you back to our bedroom, I have another class to get ready for.” With that said, Daniel pushed by Jack and kept on walking.

“Dammit, why doesn’t that man realize he’s the only one I’ll ever love, ever again?” Jack grumbled as Vane walked next to him as they wandered back towards the castle once more.

“Give it time Jack, from what I understand Daniel Jackson has never had much luck in love has he? He would have a difficult time seeing past the pain of betrayal when these types of bad timing moments happen.”

“Where do you get your information?” Jack demanded as he held his aching ribs but refused to let Vane touch him not wanting to make it any worse.

Vane smiled at him, “From your minds of course,” Jack glared at him for that. “I was not surprised especially after Love dosed you, to find how much you worried and thought about Daniel but Sam and Teal’c think about him a lot too. They worry over him and their brain leads me on all sorts of rabbit trails of information about your beloved archeologist.”

“Like what?” Jack asked, strange jealousy rising from his heart and into his throat.

“They worry about him a lot, they want him to be happy and they see happiness in your relationship but Sam especially thinks about a woman named Sha’re and there have been other times as well. A woman named Sarah that you were not able to save.”

“There is also the fact that Daniel ended up in foster care with sick people because his own grandfather didn’t want him.”

“I have heard him think about that a few times, especially in reference to how soon your romance is going to fizzle out for you. He never worries about leaving you, only you leaving him.”

“I know, we’re working on it,” Jack muttered and thanked some unknown higher power that Daniel actually married him because he knew better than anyone that Daniel still struggled with their longevity. He looked around and noticed they were about to reenter the castle, “I think I am going to walk and see if I can work off some of the pain until Daniel’s class ends.”

Vane nodded and walked into the castle again. Jack just wandered the pathways for quite a while, keeping within sight of the training building, just hoping to see Daniel walking out of it once more. Maybe if Vane weren’t with him, Daniel would see reason.

“You know it is your fault, the Vannas getting hurt!” someone called out as Jack turned around but before he could even figure out where the voice was coming from something struck him and he fell to the ground thinking ‘Oh crap, not again’.

When he woke up, Jack had no idea where he was or how long he’d been unconscious but he did recognize the room he was in. He was back in a very similar jail cell that he’d been stuck in on his second day in this time. He started shifting around on the cot to see what kind of damage he’d had inflicted on him. He sat up and groaned when he realized he hadn’t seen Daniel and he hadn’t been able to tell him again how committed and in love he was with the other man. He was way more upset about that right now than the pain or the imprisonment. He had no doubt that someone would come to his rescue sooner or later. For now though, he was going to sleep off the headache dancing around his head.

“Don’t lose hope Danny, I am going to find my way back to you,” he whispered to himself as he closed his eyes and brought the visual of his husband and let the pain slip out of his mind and body.


	21. M.I.A.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is missing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extended and Updated 10/8/2015
> 
> Unbeta'ed

Daniel paced frantically across his bedroom, stopping at the wall then turning and pacing back the way he’d come, he did that over and over and it wasn’t helping. There was nothing he could do about this, he’d made some stupid fear-based assumption that even a second after it happened he knew was wrong but sometimes all the crap from his past came out of nowhere and bit him in the ass and now Jack was missing. He’d waited after his second class for Jack to show up, apologetic and demanding that Daniel would listen and Daniel had every plan to apologize right back and enjoy the prospect of some makeup sex up against the first wall they could find, or a tree in the woods to make it an adventure. He’d been thinking all those happy naked thoughts when Jack didn’t show up and now he was left feeling confused and anxious.

He didn’t understand how Jack was missing and the queen didn’t know anything about what happened. She was the queen and she’d made a promise to keep an eye on Jack while he was working as a part of her team, he didn’t have magic and people have taken members of SG-1 before because they were considered ‘weak’ and many people thought they would be a good way to get to Zarkina in the end. That’s just the case of the last six months or so of them being here in this world. It had settled a lot since Daniel was teaching, Jack and Teal’c were helping with training not to mention learning some new techniques as well and Sam was doing everything she could to see the Vannas with a little better techniology and useful devices. They were becoming a known part of the community and that gave them some safety which meant that either Jack not being there was some plan that Zarkina knew about and was unwilling to tell Daniel for whatever reason or she just didn’t know, which was even more terrifying. Or Jack ran off with Damnation but then again he was pretty sure that wasn’t the case.

He couldn’t believe that he’d let his jealousy leak out and hurt Jack, he knew there was no way Damnation and Jack would be together but it was there screaming in the back of Daniel’s mind, demanding equal attention as the fear that something was wrong. The peace and acceptance had allowed Daniel to forget what kind of world this was. This was a world where kidnapping and fights could break out without the slightest provocation; it was a world where Jack didn’t have any magical defenses against someone who wanted to wander off with him, leaving Daniel behind and in pieces.

“Daniel, Jack is going to be fine. Zarkina is on it!” Sam said as she leaned against the doorframe of Daniel’s bedroom with a hand pressed into her slightly swollen belly.

Daniel didn’t stop pacing to answer, huffing at the stress and the workout he was giving himself at the moment. “It’s either kidnappings, getting hurt or something else here. It’s been so nice and I forgot one of the reasons having children freaked me out so much to begin with, how are we going to protect them? How we are going to have any semblance of a normal life and not end up leaving those children alone.”

“Daniel, you have to remember that even without the magic, we are kind of prone to weird drama,” Sam said with a smirk but immediately sobered when he glared at her. She happened to be right but this was not the time for the reminder. She sighed then walked over to Daniel, stopped him with a gentle hand and pulled him into a hug. Then another person darkened the door way and Daniel looked up to find Damnation standing there.

“Can you please tell me anything? I mean, obviously you didn’t run away with him since you’re here,” Daniel said then winced while Damnation gave him a look that could only be described as pitying. He tightened his arms around Sam’s comforting form. She rubbed his back gently while they waited for the other man to open his mouth as speak.

“Daniel you must know that what you saw earlier was nothing more than me helping him get to you after this snotty little upstart beat him up from protecting the Queen. I could never take Jack away from you even if I wanted him. He loves you. I am here merely to inform you that I am taking the search to the mainland. Kautra Nadio, a mole within ZarCorp’s ranks wanted one of your team to pretend to be a prisoner and I would hazard a guess that when Zarkina denied him the request, he took him anyway. I will bring him home to you Daniel, in one piece.”

Daniel nodded, fear rising to choke him once more as the younger man walked away from Daniel and Sam. He stayed tucked against Sam’s shoulder, shuddering in the internal cold that seeped into his limbs and kept him from feeling the warmth from the room or Sam’s embrace. This Nadio guy sounded desperate and desperate men didn’t play by the same rules. Daniel just hoped that this ‘fake prisoner’ situation didn’t become a real torture situation if Damnation and Zarkina didn’t find him in time.

Daniel pulled away from Sam, resolved to do what he had to do until Jack was returned to him, “I need to go speak to Desire and Lust, let them know what’s going on.”

“They probably already know Daniel, it’s the gossip right now,” Sam responded even as she released Daniel though she seemed unwilling to let him leave on his own but Daniel would need to do this without her. Jack wasn’t their leader anymore; not really, he was their friend and Daniel’s husband so it fell to Daniel to make sure that the family they were planning together in the wombs of those women was doing okay.

“I can’t just sit in our bedroom, worrying about him. I’ll go mad if I do that and we can’t afford for the both of us to be gone. He needs me to be strong for those girls, for our children, until he gets home.”

Sam nodded and moved so Daniel slipped out of his room and the apartment, walking down the hall to where the twins were rooming at the moment because they were pregnant with Jack and Daniel’s children, it was one of the conditions of the contract they drew up with Zarkina’s help, a way to give them a chance to be a part of the pregnancy but also give the twins some space when they needed it.

He knocked, heard someone say ‘come in’ before he slipped in to find them sitting on a small couch together. Daniel could already see a small swelling in their stomachs which was strange to think since Sam had already been pregnant much longer than they had. Daniel leaned down to kiss each of them gently on the cheek, “You’ve heard about Jack I assume?”

“Yes of course,” Desire responded easily and she didn’t seem bothered by it but then Jack wasn’t her husband so Daniel tried not to take it personally, “The child in my womb has a bond with it’s father and so I have been using the connection between them. He is alive and there is no echo of pain when I reach out for him but that is all I can tell you.”

Daniel breathed a sigh of relief, the air whooshing out of his lungs quickly. Jack was unharmed for now. It wasn’t any good information to get him back but it did calm the nerves that were attempting to reach up and choke him again and again. For now that would be enough. “Thank you Desire,” Daniel said as he sat down next to them.

He had a little time before his next class and he wanted to be here surrounded by the family he and Jack agreed to build together. He settled against the cushions and prayed for Jack’s safe and speedy return.

 

Jack leaned against the wall on his cot, missing the large bed Daniel and he shared at home. There was nothing for him to do besides think of his husband and hope that he was okay, he hoped that Desire and Lust were okay despite this newest development. He knew that if something were to happen to him, biologically Desire could keep the child she was carrying and Daniel would have a hard time with two children at once but then again he was trying not to think about those things. He’d only been here a couple days and they were feeding him and no one had touched him yet but he didn’t know if that was going to continue. It was possible they were waiting for the big dog to come down here and conduct the interview personally but in the meantime, Jack just closed his eyes and thought about Daniel.

Until the outer door of the cell clanged open and he looked over to see the man who beaned him over the head and brought him here against his will. Jack gave him a quick look over and wondered if he had powers because if he didn’t and got stupid enough to come anywhere near the bars then Jack was going to have a great time bashing the guy’s head into the bar, maybe twice just for good measure.

He’d tried the lock on day one but figured after his last escape, someone had upgraded or someone who wasn’t an ally of the queen ran this facility, either way Jack had no way out except getting some keys from someone and beating his way out of this place. For now though he sighed when Nadio started talking and Jack was slightly distracted by the fact that his jacket had ‘Kane’ etched into his name tag.

“Now Outsider, you are going to tell us where you came from so we can report back to our boss,” Nadio demanded, hand on a his weapon which resembled a pain stick, something that could unleash a powerful reason not to touch the man holding it, not that it was going to deter Jack if he saw an opportunity.

“Why would I give you anything, you stupid son of a bitch? You had your chance to ask for our help, you didn’t get what you wanted and threw a hissy fit like a little girl! So enjoy the silence.”

Nadio smiled, “As you were taken from the island, they are going to be here soon. Akina isn’t going to let me get away with this. I need you to give me something to give to Zarranth otherwise my cover is going to be blown.”

Jack stood up and walked towards the bars, “You want some information?”

Nadio nodded enthusiastically and Jack enjoyed watching it wither as he spoke.

“Go screw yourself! Because of you, my husband is undoubtedly thinking the worst things right now, that I was cheating or I’m gone for good!”

“You are married to a man?” Nadio asked with a clear shudder and Jack frowned, he was pretty sure that was stated back on the island but then the nagging little jerk hadn’t really been paying attention to anything but getting his own way.

“You got a problem with that?” Jack demanded, not really ready to take on the mantle of gay right activist in this world but he also dared the jackass to say something about Daniel.

Nadio stared Jack down, but the Colonel had been staring down military Generals for a good portion of his career, this little twit didn’t scare or intimidate him in the slightest. He wasn’t embarrassed by the love of his life, he was proud to call Daniel his and this man wasn’t going accomplish anything by trying to make him feel any different.

“I asked you a question?” Jack demanded.

Nadio shrugged, “I asked you a question too.”

“At the moment, you need to give me a reason to speak. I have a very sore jaw and I am away from the man I love because of you.”

Nadio sighed in annoyance and slumped back against the wall, far enough that Jack wouldn’t be able to touch him. Jack shrugged; sad he wasn’t going to get a chance to beat the crap out of the guy, though still hopeful about it. One second was all Jack would need to get a little payback for earlier.

“You are a warrior from your time, yes?” Nadio asked.

Jack nodded, figured he didn’t really care about giving up that information as least.

“Doesn’t it go against your nature as a warrior to be with a man? Do you allow him to dominate you?”

Jack shrugged and answered though he didn’t know why other than the novelty of being honesty about himself, “I hated the idea for a long time, there is a lot of people in my time that think like you do, including my employer. Then I realized that he was more important than the belief that I was a ‘straight man’. I am lucky to love such a person as Daniel Jackson and I am doubly blessed that he loves me back. If you have a problem with my life then that’s too bad for you. Who do you have waiting at home for you?”

Nadio shrugged but there was a wealth of barely concealed sadness in his eyes not that it made Jack feel anything close to empathy for him when he spoke, “I used to have someone but I lost her.”

“Well I have been given a chance to love the person that I love, to show him daily what that means to me. I hope someday you can find the same but until then don’t you dare think you know anything about me or my husband!”

Nadio held his hands up in surrender, “You’re right. Now please lets make this worth it please?”

Jack sighed in exasperated defeat, “What do you want to know? We didn’t come here on purpose; we were kidnapped and hurt by Zarcorp’s people so we feel safer with Zarkina and the Vannas. Hell we felt safer with the Infidels.”

“Where did you come from?”

“Here, earth from the year 2001.”

Nadio continued to watch him, “How?”

“We were transported accidently through time by a device we called the Stargate. We are stuck here and there is nothing we can give this Zarranth. You keeping me here will not change that. We just don’t like the idea of living in a world where one man runs the show and he chooses to run that show with women sold into sexual slavery and so on.”

There was a knock on the door and another man walked into the room. Nadio immediately stood at attention and Jack was sure all of a sudden that he was getting his first glimpse of the man that made Zarkina’s people so scared to live freely.

“Nadio, you are being referred back to the city, I will be taking the interrogation from here.” His voice was deep and had a rumble to it that might have once upon a time made Jack wonder if he was a smoker, though he didn’t know if people in this world had cigerettes so maybe his voice was just like that. He was dressed in a suit not unlike the ones he’d left behind in 2001, a little sleeker and shiny but about the same. He was lean but hunched in the shoulders a little, and he definitely looked more like the politician who every once in a while liked to get his hands dirty.

“Yes sir,” Nadio said and left without a backwards glance, feeding Jack to the wolf without a qualm in the world. Jack hoped that when Zarkina found that little douche bag she punched him multiple times. He focused on the man in front of him, seeing the evil glee in his brown eyes and the inherent violence in him. Jack wondered how many of this man’s interrogations ended in the prisoner dying and he just hoped his wouldn’t.

“Now, I am pleased to finally have a chance to get some answers from you. The witch queen has done a lot to keep you out of my hands, so you must be important somehow.”

Jack shrugged and settled back onto his cot again, he had no reason to make this easy for the enemy. Jack just hoped he would have a chance to tell Daniel one more time that he loved him so much and that was only deepening with time.


	22. Time Floats On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack's long absence is destroying Daniel a little at a time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated and Extended 10/8/2015
> 
> Unbeta'ed

Daniel hugged the pillow that barely carried Jack’s scent anymore into his chest and he thought about getting up. He was supposed to be going to class soon but after Jack’s absence had carried on for weeks then turned into months well he had a hard time getting up anymore. Sometimes, these days, he hated Love for unveiling their feelings for each other. If he’d never known then he wouldn’t know how much more this would hurt. There were occasions in their times of traveling through the Gate when Jack disappeared or Daniel got hurt and they’d always cared just a little too much but this devastation he could have lived better off not knowing that he could feel like this.

Today made it two months and according to the twins and Erica, they were going to give birth in another couple of weeks. Sam was getting closer to her due date as well, so round at this point she was having some trouble moving around like she used to. It was one of the few things that made Daniel happy at all, being around the twins and moving his hands over their distended bellies and feeling the movement there or listening to Sam as she tried to conduct scientific experiments while Teal’c worried and clucked like a Jaffa Mother hen.

Though as the days crept closer and closer to Desire and Lust giving birth Daniel started to get more and more desperate to bring Jack home. He didn’t want to be an only parent because some stupid jackass stole the love of his life and they couldn’t get him back. He had been left to wonder how long the queen was going to commit time to trying to find someone that didn’t seem to be within reach. He didn’t know when he was supposed to lose hope and start the process of trying to move on with his life, without Jack.

Daniel sucked back a sob at that thought, he hated this so much. It was like having someone slice through his heart, leaving it in pieces that he had to somehow put back together without the man who had always helped it to keep its rhythm.

There was a knock on his door but Daniel didn’t move. The door opened a second later, Zarkina stood on the other side. “Daniel, I cancelled your classes until Jack is returned to you, I am impressed that you made it this far without needing a break but your students know you are in need of some time and space to feel more like yourself once again.”

“How could you allow this to happen?” Daniel whispered hoarsely, knowing he could very well be burning a bridge the remaining members of SG-1 still needed to survive but he didn’t want to live without Jack. It was difficult to imagine picking himself back up again after this, he tried to remember the lessons that Zarkina shared with him, that he was still Daniel with a beginning and an end but he’d thrown himself whole-heartedly into this love affair that had taken years to cultivate and now before they’d even had a year together it might be over. The queen had been responsible for Jack, was supposed to see that his experience was used well without putting him into unnecessary harm and Daniel blamed her no matter how unfair that might be to her. She sat down next to him on the bed, touched his shoulder in comfort causing him to flinch but she did not allow him to pull away.

“Daniel, I am so sorry this happened and I am even sorrier that I have not brought him back to you yet. Zarcorp is moving him from facility to facility every couple of days, and I don’t have moles in all his towns and camps so by the time word is sent back to me of Jack’s arrival and we teleport there he is gone again. We are only lucky Zarranth has not decided to take Jack back into the city.”

Daniel heard what the woman was saying but there was nothing there inside for him to respond with, nothing but the overwhelm pain of loss stabbing him over and over without death to relieve him of the pain. “Please just leave me alone until the twins give birth or you find my husband, whatever comes first.”

Zarkina squeezed his shoulder again before moving away from the bed quietly, “I promise we have not given up.”

Daniel shrugged and sucked in another deep breath, pulling in the faint smell of his beloved. He didn’t know what he was going to do here if Jack didn’t survive whatever was happening to him. Daniel would have gone on the search parties but with the children on the way, Sam and Teal’c wouldn’t let him join the searches and neither would the queen and Damnation.

Sam was still working and Teal’c was helping Damnation and Zarkina with the searches but he returned every couple of days to let them know what was going on. Daniel had lost track of the different places Jack had ended up since he’d been taken, it seemed ZarCorp really was a worldwide corporation with towns and installations all over the world and someone had the job of ferrying Jack all over the place to keep Zarkina and the Vannas off his scent.

He slipped into a fitful sleep once more, tears staining the sheets around him and his grip tightening. He wanted to cry again about losing Jack but he was already so tired he couldn’t do it anymore.

He didn’t wake up completely when Sam came into his room and slipped into the bed behind him. She wrapped her arms around his stomach as she cuddled up with him. She whispered words of kindness in his ear as he tried to sleep and Daniel realized that Teal’c was undoubtedly still gone. They were missing their men and together they would have some sort of comfort. Some sort of understanding and love to help with the agony in Daniel’s heart.

Daniel wrapped his hand around Sam’s as he continued to sleep fitfully. He hadn’t slept for more than an hour at a time since Jack left but having Sam’s arms around him protectively made him feel safe enough to fall into a light slumber with the knowledge that it wouldn’t last long so he should soak it up while he could.

 

Jack slumped against the wall, having been brought back to his cell again after a session of torture. Zarranth had long ago given up on getting much information out of him; instead he just seemed to be enjoying himself. Jack had no idea anymore if the Vannas and Daniel had given up on finding him, he was so sick of moving from place to place. He was sick at heart about what Daniel was going through alone and Jack just wanted to stop.

He took inventory of his newest breaks, several ribs were cracked and his face was a bloody mess once more. Zarranth broke one of his arms this time and had choked him till he passed out. Whenever they moved from place to place, the tormentor placed him in this box that was like a Sarcophagus, it would heal Jack so he appeared in good health every time he appeared in front of other people and then the man took great pleasure in inflicting all his wounds all over again. They weren’t supposed to move for another 48 hours from this facility so Zarranth was giving Jack time to ‘consider his options’ as he liked to say.

He looked up and gazed at the person who walked into the cell room without really knowing what he was looking at. He couldn’t focus anymore, Zarranth had punched Jack around the eyes on multiple occasions and Jack figured there was some permanent damage to his retina.

“Oh God, what have they done to you?” a young woman’s voice asked breathlessly.

“Look,” Jack gasped, “He promised me time before he started the torture again.”

“Oh Jack, I am not here to torture you, I am here to see if I can get you home,” she said gently as she came forward and touched the bars. Jack tried to focus on her but couldn’t handle it.

“Who are you? I can’t see you clearly.” He was so frustrated with the inconvenience of his messed up eyes. Those boxes were not as effective as the Sarcophagus or Jack suspected Zarranth had purposely made it less than perfect on purpose but that was just a theory attached to the fact that the man was a sick sadist who enjoyed hurting people.

She waved him over; he went mostly because if she killed him he would be free of this pain and if she hurt him more he was already pretty numbed out from the constant torture sessions. She touched his temple and soothing warmth slithered from her fingertips and into his skull and as Jack squeezed his eyes shut he could feel something snap back into place once more and he hissed in pain. The woman made a small soothing sound, apologetic and to quiet him as well. He opened his eyes to find the world perfectly clear again; in fact it was better than it had been before he left earth. She’d brought his vision back to 20/20 perfection.

“Thanks,” he responded and focused on her pixie looking face. It was the healer who helped Teal’c when he was dying from the snake maturing. “I know you, you helped my friend.”

“Yes Jack, I am Erica. I live near the city and the Vannas and our allies have been searching for you. Zarranth has kept you pretty well hidden but bringing you to this outpost was a mistake, many of Akina’s people are hidden in plain sight here. My husband and I are two of many. I even have clearance to this facility and I am medical personnel so I have every reason to be here.”

“Why do you call her by her given name? I watched her punch out Nadio for the same offense.” He wasn’t really interested but it was better than thinking of the need to escape, which sounded too painful of an option right now.

“I am Akina’s best friend, next to her husband. Nadio is a stupid man who loves to start fights with people much more powerful then he is.”

She said it with such intensity that Jack had no problem believing the feelings were personal, “Okay well how are we getting me out?”

“You’re going to die,” she said with a grin. He stared at her in shock.

 

“Daniel, you should go teach today, I know it’s been hard for you since Jack disappeared but he wouldn’t want you to give up your life.”

It had been another week in bed; Daniel barely ate and barely spoke to anyone. Sam was just about the only person he allowed to stay in his company for more than a minute or so. He hadn’t even seen the twins for a couple of days now, not wanting them to be infected with his hopelessness when they were carrying Daniel and Jack’s children. “I don’t want to live without him Sam, I have told you this.” Daniel stated morosely.

“Daniel, you have children due in a couple weeks for crying out loud! You're going to leave them without their father?”

“Of course not! As I told Zarkina, I will come out to be a father or a husband, whichever comes first? For now, I don’t feel like I have anything to live for. I know it’s stupid but like Zarkina said, there is no way to undo the knowledge once Love dosed us, I will find my way again, I just need time.”

“Daniel,” Sam cajoled.

“Don’t Sam! You have Teal’c and your baby on the way. I may have lost the man I love and I am not ready to just keep living without him!”

Sam walked over to where was pacing around the room though it was much slower now and wobbly since he wasn’t eating or sleeping very well. Sam reached out and grabbed him and pulled his resistant body into her arms since he didn’t really have any will to fight or strength to push her away. She held him tightly until he stopped struggling and wrapped his arms around her back, “I know Daniel but everything is going to be okay. Jack always comes home to you, always!”

Daniel cried quietly in her arms, not moving for a long time. Then he felt the drain on his anger induced energy sap out of him and he moved to the bed and settled into the blanket there. He flashed on memories of getting married and making love to Jack on this bed that he got as a present. He remembered the first kiss by the water back in Damnation’s camp and the ceremony in Silver Wolf’s camp, which bound their hearts together forever. He looked down at the silver lines of the bonding mark on his tanned skin. He’d asked Zarkina about them soon after Jack’s disappearance. They wouldn’t disappear if Jack were to die while they were bound together but it would visible change in the act of losing one of the pair.

Daniel had taken to staring at his hand, hoping to see no change and sometimes even hoping he would because he knew that Zarranth was hurting him, Desire had told him as much though she didn’t know much more than that through her minimal bond from Jack to the unborn child in her womb. He wanted Jack back in his arms alive but a small hidden hurting little part of him wished that Jack could escape the pain he was going through.

He allowed himself to slip into that troubled sleep that had become the norm for him. He didn’t hear if Sam left the room or not until much later when he was waking up again. He didn’t open his eyes, wasn’t ready to look at the world again with no Jack but he could hear Teal’c and Sam talking.

“How is Daniel Jackson?” Teal’c was asking, must’ve returned from his latest trip but since Jack wasn’t in bed with him and they hadn’t woke him on purpose Daniel saw no reason to emerge from his cocoon of exhausted misery.

“He is depressed, has no intention of leaving his bed until the children are born or Jack is found and brought home,” Sam responded.

“What can we do for him?”

“Get Jack back, that’s what he needs,” Sam’s voice broke on the words and Daniel felt sympathy for his dear blonde friend. He wished he could pull himself out of this turmoil so she could focus on being happy about her life, Sam had lived with a lot of sadness and loss, this should have been a happy time for her but Daniel couldn’t find his way past his own bucket of sadness.

It didn’t change his mind though, sad as that was. He couldn’t see the light of the world, the possible happiness of the future without Jack’s infectious grin and gruff exterior. Daniel couldn’t imagine ever finding a reason to reach out in love to anyone after having Jack inside his body, after learning about each other inside and out. The Colonel had trusted Daniel with his heart, his body and his soul and Daniel had done the same in return and once again, life had taken away the most important part. Fate was a vicious bitch and a large part of Daniel wished suddenly that he’d never allowed Lust to impregnate herself with a child from his DNA, it was sure to be cursed as well.

“Come to bed, Samantha,” Teal’c was crooning to Sam and Daniel couldn’t handle it anymore. He snapped up in bed, rushed over to the door of his bedroom and nudged Sam onto the other side where Teal’c was standing and slammed the door in her shocked face. He couldn’t bear to keep listening to them without the loss rising up to choke him, worried that the sadness at some point was going to rise up above his head in a wave and drown him in the darkness. He had to find a way through this for their children but for now he didn’t have to listen to the surviving happy couple of their team while he was falling apart. He paced around the room, breathing heavily and when he got to the armoire where he could see his face, he punched the mirror and it shattered around his fist.

He screamed in frustration and fear and watched as blood leaked from his battered knuckles and he felt something inside break finally. He felt the release from the inner pain as the physical pain of his hand took its place. Then before Daniel could use the reprieve, it was gone as the subtle pounding of his heartbeat rose into the marred knuckles. In that second desperation grabbed a hold of Daniel’s mind and he rummaged through the drawers until he found a bandage for his hand.

Daniel wrapped it quickly as he grabbed shoes and his long forgotten BDU’s. He slipped into the t-shirt and pants shoved his feet into the air force issue boots he hadn’t put on in months and took off out of the apartment before Teal’c or Sam could ask him any questions. He knew exactly where to pick a fight. There were many Vannas on the island that resented their presence and the relationship they had developed with the queen and many of the royal family. It was something that people whispered in the shadows as they played the best friends during the day. He was going to give every single one of them the chance to fight him.

It was the only way he was ever going to find some peace. He knew it was the wrong thing to do but he was so sick of feeling the emotional hurt of losing his beloved Colonel that he would take what he could get.

Maybe it would give him the chance to beg forgiveness for letting Jack down, for letting down Teal’c and Sam as well as Lust and Desire. He was as always, useless to those who depended on him. Utterly useless to those he loved. It was a painful hurting truth that had been with him since he was a little boy demanding that his parents move away from where the stone was hanging over their heads, they didn’t listen and he should have done something else. He should have kept fighting, he should have fought harder when Sha’re was taken. He should have done a million things differently that he didn’t do, leaving people hurting and broken in his wake. It only seemed fair that he would end up the same way.


	23. Operation Fake-a-Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is coming home.... in a body bag?.......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated and Extended 10/8/2015
> 
> Unbeta'ed

Jack couldn’t believe he was doing this, laying on a cold metal slab waiting for Erica to deliver the toxin into his system that would make him appear dead. Zarranth had been called back to the city for an emergency meeting and Erica had been in to see Jack and give him the details of her plan. Any prisoner who died at the hands of the leader or the resistance was to be taken out of the towns or outposts’ immediately because a good portion of ZarCorp’s power came from the public’s belief that Zarranth was doing good for the people and dead POW’s were not a good sign in any century apparently. Plus from what Erica told him, the dead POW’s were usually placed back in a compromising situation for the Hunters to ‘find’ so they could blame the Vannas for the death, it was sick and unconscionable and Jack couldn’t wait to get back to the ‘evil witches’ again.

“Just relax, I am going to get you home,” Erica whispered.

Jack nodded and there was a jab at his neck and the drug was administered straight into his blood stream. He felt the effects even before she’d removed the empty syringe. He had no idea what she did with it, suddenly unable to shift or move from the shock. There was a chill slipping through his veins and he felt his breathing turn erratic. Erica was there, holding his hand gently in comfort as Jack started fighting the restraints holding him down. His lungs weren’t puling enough air in and he could feel his heart speed up before slowing down. His eyes slipped shut when they were too heavy to hold up anymore and then his struggles ceased completely as his body shut down. Every heartbeat was loud in Jack’s ears. They were the only thing he was aware of in his ‘dead’ altered stated.

One…

He didn’t think he was breathing at all but then he wouldn’t have felt the air moving through him anyway and he couldn’t have moved even if he wanted to. There was no strength in his limbs, the muscles felt dead and as the slab moved, the air was like a secondary sensation like he was wearing heaving rubber all over his body. He would have been hyperventilating if he could, he wanted to but then he heard the slight hum of words murmured to his ear, “Stay calm Jack and I’m going to get you back to Daniel.”

Two…

It seemed like forever from one beat to the next, someone touched his throat and declared him dead, telling someone very far away to get the body off the property. There was too much at stake in this outpost for anyone to find the prisoner had been killed during interrogation. Daniel, he was going to get back to his love. He tried to find solace in that instead of the lack of sensation and the feeling of cloth covering his face, obscuring him from the world of people they would pass in the halls. All part of this weird and disturbing plan.

Three…

The air seemed to be moving faster around his cloth covered body, Jack was suddenly glad he couldn’t focus outside his body, sure the covering which he understood on a mental level was a body bag which would have made lying still impossible in the face of utter terror of suffocating in the bag. He wanted to be in Daniel’s arms so desperately. He drew a picture of his lover in his mind. Those blue eyes were the color of the clear sky and his hair soft as silk when he ran his fingers through the strands. He loved that Daniel’s hair was a little longer, something to grip gently in moments of overwhelming passion and pleasure.

Four…

That body of Daniel’s was to die for—figuratively thinking that is. Jack couldn’t seem to help the mental joke. He would have chuckled if he could have. As it was, he went back to the mental picture of all those muscles and how they strained when Jack placed his hands on them. He thought about the musky taste of Daniel’s skin and the feeling of coming home whenever he kisses Daniel or slid himself inside Daniel. The feeling of Daniel surrounding him, that was worth dying for and more importantly it was worth living for. He didn’t want their last time to be the last time, he didn’t want that moment when Daniel saw him with Damnation to be the last time they talk. He wanted forever with Daniel Jackson and if that meant he had to die for the next hour then he would do it. This was for them, making it through this to be together and he would.

Five…

Someone was talking; it pulled Jack’s focus from his mental appraisal of his beloved archeologist. “We have to teleport Jack, back to the island before I can bring you out of this! It’s going to accelerate the toxins effects, it’s going to hurt.”

Jack wanted to nod, but couldn’t then with lightning strike to every cell in his body, Jack felt another beat of his heart. He focused on going home to Daniel and wished he could scream.

Six…

 

Daniel screamed at the feeling of his heart dying inside. He looked down at the infinity symbol on his wrist, as it turned grey, losing its vitality. Daniel struggled to keep standing, gripping the sword in his wavering hand as he stabbed it into the ground to maintain his feet. The bonding mark had always looked alive but now it seemed to be dying and Daniel couldn’t believe that his wish was being granted. That thought brought him to his knees next to the sword which clattered down next to him, unable to stay snug into the hardened ground.

He slammed his fists into the unforgiving ground of the fighting arena where he’d been fighting anything that gave him a chance. Several people had stepped forward to fight him and he’d fought back but also allowed them to pummel his face and chest more than he ever would have any other time. Daniel was a good fighter, he could even best Jack every once in a while but these fights weren’t about winning, they were about pain.

Daniel watched the blood drip from his face as he cried out to the sky, “How could you do this to me!” he demanded in a blood-curdling scream. He didn’t notice when the crowd who had come to watch scurried away at the echoing sound of his pain. He felt the symbol pulsing on his wrist as if it was trying to survive and he gripped it with his other hand. Daniel couldn’t stand knowing he was watching the last beats of Jack’s amazing heart and he couldn’t do a thing to help him.

Someone ran up to him, he ignored whoever it was as the feet moved close to him.

“Daniel what happened to you?” Sam asked.

“He came here to fight some of the warriors,” another voice responded.

“What? Daniel, what were you thinking?” Sam asked gently as she forced his face up. Daniel, instead of answering, showed the bond mark. Someone gripped his wrist gently.

“This doesn’t mean he’s gone, it looks like he is struggling but there’s still time. Daniel, have faith.” Zarkina’s words were gentle and loving. Daniel pulled his hand away and slammed his fist into the ground again. “Daniel, I mean it, we got word from Erica. She has Jack with her.”

Daniel took a deep breath and looked down at the pulsing on his wrist it wasn’t his heartbeat, it was Jack’s. There was hope? The thought flitted through his brain and the rising pessimist in him shook it off then the little and beaten optimist peaked out from it’s hiding place as he struggled to regain his composure to make his demands.

“I need to see him, I don’t believe you!” he ground out through gritted teeth at the queen. Teal’c and Sam lifted him from the ground and Daniel recalled one of the strikes he took to his knee and faltered. “I think my legs busted,” he groaned.

“Daniel what were you doing here?” Sam asked him as more people moved around to help Daniel off his feet.

“I just needed to not feel,” Daniel whispered to Sam, his voice cracking with the pressure it took to keep moving through the pain he was suddenly and viciously aware of. He’d been fighting for a while now and hadn’t felt a thing; he’d been in blissful ignorance of not only the emotional pain of losing Jack but also the physical pain of the fighting. That was no longer the case.

He slipped into painful unconsciousness from the jostling of his carriers. He didn’t know how much time passed when he woke up again and he found himself strapped into a bed in the sterile room that he hadn’t seen since Teal’c had been laid out in this bed.

“Why am I strapped down?” he asked in a gravely voice, not really knowing if he was alone or not. SG-1 hardly ever let each other go through healing phases alone unless there was a problem or a cure to be found. He still didn’t know if Jack was alive or here and the sooner he got an answer the sooner he could deal with the results.

“Because, my beloved, you were not making very wise choices,” an equally tired voice stated from the chair next to the bed. Daniel turned his head and caught sight of a gaunt and blotchy Colonel Jack and his eyes immediately filled with tears.

“You’re alive?” he cried out. His eyes roamed from the tears dried on Jack’s face and the fact that there were no visible bruising or blood anywhere as he continued his perusal down Jack’s chest and arms though he couldn’t see through clothes so he wasn’t getting the whole picture. That would come later when they were alone and he wasn’t strapped to a bed like a crazy person.

Jack shuffled out of his chair slowly and settled into the bed next to Daniel, releasing one hand then the other from the restraints. Daniel lifted his shaking hands gently and settled one of them on Jack’s cheek gently. Jack was really there and he was smiling at Daniel, albeit it was a sad smile.

“Hey baby, what were you thinking, letting people beat you up?” Jack chided Daniel gently. Daniel had no illusions that if he weren’t hurt right now, Jack would have been screaming bloody murder at him.

“I couldn’t deal with the pain anymore, you weren’t here and I knew you were getting hurt. I was useless!”

Jack lifted one of his hands and touched Daniel’s face gently, “I needed you to be safe Danny, that’s all I needed from you. Erica said that your leg is mended and everything else is just sore, you’re going to be okay. Thank goodness for healers huh?”

“What about you?” Daniel asked as he turned on his side and pulled Jack into his body gently. He could feel all his sore muscles; bruising all over his chest and he still didn’t know what kind of shape Jack was in. He couldn’t help himself though, he needed to climb into Jack’s space and know deep inside that Jack wasn’t going to disappear again.

“I was healed for the most part, my body is still fighting off the dregs of the toxin Erica gave me but she said I should be fine in a couple days.”

What toxin?” Daniel mumbled into the skin of Jack’s throat as he breathed his lover in. He reveled in the musky smell of his husband’s skin, there was really nothing like it in the world and all Daniel wanted was to stay there for the rest of his life. Jack shuddered in response and Daniel listened to his overwhelming need and kissed Jack’s skin. His tongue slipped between his lips and lapped at the pulse point at Jack’s neck and he felt Jack’s hand come to grip the back of Daniel’s head gently. He could taste Jack’s unique taste on his mouth and it broke some dam within him. He choked on the sob that threatened and Jack’s arms tightened around Daniel’s body.

“I know baby, I’m sorry I wasn’t here.” He mumbled the words into Daniel’s hair, “I am so very sorry that you were left here thinking that I’d left you or cheated on you. Please forgive me Danny?”

Daniel shook his head frantically, “There is nothing to forgive Jack,” Daniel cried. “I thought you were dead, I couldn’t find a way to live without you.”

Jack pulled Daniel’s face away from his neck, “I’m alive love, and you don’t have to worry about that.” Daniel leaned forward and Jack took his mouth in a gentle kiss. Daniel could taste his tears in the kiss as their mouths learned each other’s again. Daniel wrapped his hand around Jack’s neck and slid his fingers through the short soft strands there. He licked the interior of Jack’s mouth and sighed in sudden overwhelming happiness. Jack was alive and they were together. They were kissing and once again, to Daniel it felt as though he were coming home for the first time.

Jack pulled away gently, “You know if I had the strength, I would be having my way with you but I don’t. My beautiful Danny, I am so glad you’re alive. When they told me what you were doing, I was so scared you wouldn’t wake up.”

Daniel looked down at the bonding mark, finding it shimmering silver once more. He wrapped his unharmed leg around Jack’s hip and pulled their bodies even closer. Jack groaned and Daniel immediately released him, “Did I hurt you?”

Jack shook his head and pulled Daniel closer again, “No love, I am just excited to have you so close to me.”

Daniel sighed in relief and allowed himself to relax into Jack’s arms. “I haven’t really slept since you were taken.”

Jack nodded and pulled Daniel’s head into the crook of his neck, he settled into the first deep sleep in ages.

 

Jack held Daniel in his arms gently, feeling the younger man breath deeply as he slept and his hands didn’t stop caressing Daniel’s shoulders and back. His lips kissed Daniel’s silky hair gently. It was true that Erica had been able to heal all the torture wounds and the toxin was almost completely out of his system but being awake for the last day had sapped his energy more than anything else. The toxin had been hard to shake, especially after being teleported back here. It had been rough to come back to his body screaming, it was the only thing that worked for a few minutes, all the pain sensors in his body going on high alert and screaming for attention. Erica and a few of the healers held him still and talked him through the pain of slowly returning to the living before Sam had informed them of what Daniel had been doing, how damaged he was from the fights and Jack had tried to get off the bed and ended up in a heap on the ground.

After Erica helped him back into bed and told him to stay like someone would speak to a dog, she left and healed Daniel right away but said that the mental and emotional turmoil of thinking he’d lost his husband had done more damage than anything. Daniel had been trapped in the depression of believing he’d lost Jack and could do nothing for him. This is the downside to having Love dose a couple, the loss of identity and self in some ways, which was the reason why she was so dangerous and why the queen had been trying so hard to remind them both that they were each one man with a beginning and an end. They were together and it was beautiful but it didn’t need to be the end all of their lives, it was just to bad that the lesson hadn’t sunk into Daniel’s head in time.

Even though Jack wanted desperately to slip into sleep along with his beloved, he needed to let everyone know that Daniel woke up. With another kiss to Daniel’s forehead and a hand caressing his cheek, Jack disentangled himself from Daniel’s arms and legs and stood to leave the room. At the door he looked back to the bed and realized that the younger man was more relaxed now than he’d seen him since getting home. Knowing for sure Jack was alive had given Daniel peace and a reason to live again, Jack didn’t know if he could handle that kind of pressure. He was a military man and he didn’t know if he could give that up but at the same time, he couldn’t give up Daniel and if the warrior life was hurting Daniel then what choice did Jack really have. Daniel was more important than any desperate need to be important.

The truth was he was the most important person to Danny and that was all that mattered. With that in mind, he walked out of the room and closed the door quietly, hoping that Daniel would stay asleep for at least long enough that Jack could tell the people who needed to know.

He found Teal’c and Sam sitting outside the door, leaning into each other as they dozed. Jack leaned down and touched Sam’s shoulder that snapped awake and commenced to drag Teal’c to his feet even though her belly made it hard for her to move quickly but right then, the need to know her friend was okay gave her some supernatural grace that Jack was more than a little jealous of.. “How is he?” she demanded.

“He’s sleeping normally now, he woke up and we talked. He’s going to be okay,” Jack responded.

Sam hugged Jack gently, “Oh thank god for both of you being okay. I thought we were going to lose him because you were gone. We can go tell Desire and Lust that you both are alive and healing but Zarkina is awaiting word from you. She’s down in the throne room.”

“I won’t leave him, if she wants to see one of us she can come here. If he wakes up and finds me gone then he’s not going to respond well.”

Sam nodded in understand, “T will you relay the message to the queen?” he nodded.

“I am pleased you and Daniel Jackson are both alive, O’Neill.” Then he walked away, Sam kissed Jack’s cheek gently before she walked away as well. Jack returned course to Daniel’s side, settled in next to him and fell asleep with Daniel’s limbs wrapped tightly around him.

And he was happy for the first time in months.


	24. Waking Up to the Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel and Jack are together again, getting ready for the new arrivals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated 10/8/2015
> 
> Unbeta'ed
> 
> Since this is a new chapter, I can actually let people know about the fact that this story is the same one you've read before if you have been following the Gate to Vannas series but I went back and added a lot to this story taking it from 60,000 words to over 110,000 words, all of the basic story lines have not changed but there has been a lot of depth added and I will repost some of the later chapters once I receive them from my Beta!
> 
> Thanks and I hope some of you are willing to go back and re read because I am planning to do the same thing to all of this series, giving you even more of this awesome story than you have now.

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Waking up to the Sun**

Jack shifted in the bed, almost falling off the side then he realized he wasn’t in his bed with Daniel. Their bed was much larger so they could roll around as much as they wanted to when they were playing at night. He remembered slowly about what they’d gone through and they were in the hospital bed. Daniel’s perfectly toned body was pressed up against his chest. He didn’t care if he fell out of the bed anymore, as long as he got to get back into the bed with his spouse.

“Jack?” Daniel mumbled into his neck, obviously jarred with Jack’s movements. His voice was scared and traumatized from everything that had happened.

Jack touched Daniel’s cheek and immediately tried to soothe his fear. “Hey love, I’m right here. You’re okay.”

Daniel snuggled closer to Jack’s chest then as if he’d suddenly remembered the night before the archeologist snapped up on the bed and then groaned when it pulled on his tight, healing muscles. Jack winced in sympathy, they might have these amazing people capable of healing them but there was such a thing as aches and pains and he figured a while back that those sometimes didn’t just magically disappear. He wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that bodies were not meant to heal rapidly so there were bound to be consequences but then again, it wasn’t really what he wanted to be thinking about at the moment so he refocused on Daniel next to him. He rested his hand against Daniel’s chest. Then the young man turned and focused on Jack’s face. He reached down and touched Jack’s cheek.

“It wasn’t a dream, I was sure—“ Daniel started, trying to keep his voice from breaking from the relief Jack could clearly see on his face. Jack sat up slowly on the bed and held Daniel’s face in his hand. He leaned in slowly and let Daniel complete the move then they were kissing gently. Daniel’s hands went to Jack’s shoulders and pulled Jack as close as he could the way they were sitting. Jack took a fast inventory of his aches and pains before deciding that he didn’t care. He pulled Daniel’s leg across his hips and then they were as close as they could be with clothes on. He didn’t have any intention of letting this get past petting and making out though he wanted to and Daniel would agree he was sure but they were not going to have the unfettered energy for that. Jack could still feel the exhaustion seeping into his muscles and mind even so soon after waking.

Jack slipped his tongue into Daniel’s mouth and continued to kiss his husband, reveling in slipping his fingers through Daniel’s hair and suddenly he was happy that no one had brought up cutting it while he was missing. From what Sam had told him, Daniel had been on a route of self-destruction and Jack should know, he’d been on that particular road before.

Pulling away from Daniel Jack smiled when the archeologist tried to lean in again. “No love just slow down, I am not going anywhere. I promise.”

“You can’t promise that Jack, you cannot see the future! All we have is right now.” With that he tried to kiss Jack again and again the Colonel held Daniel back.

“I’m going to stop with the war-games with the queen, I just want to be your husband and the father of our children. Danny, I promise I am going to do everything in my power to stay with you.”

Daniel stared at him, the shock evident all over his features, “What?”

“I won’t be working with Zarkina’s warriors; I won’t take a chance on not coming back. I can’t do that to you or the kids.”

Daniel shook his head, “No Jack, it’s who you are!”

“No Danny, I am a man who likes to fish in a lake that has no fish and I just want to be with you. I can give up the fight, I will find something else to do for Zarkina but I cannot do this to you again. It was because we met with that guy that he decided to kidnap me.”

Daniel leaned back and crossed his arms, moving into that self-hugging position that Jack hated. He pulled Daniel’s arms away and held the younger man’s hands in his. “Jack, stop.”

“Stop what?” Jack asked cajolingly. He didn’t want to fight about it right now.

“Jack, I don’t know if we should make any decisions right now. Can we just get better and worry about the children coming. The girls are going to be going into labor here soon and we are going to have to prepare for the babies.”

Jack sighed contentedly as his mind was pulled from the idea of walking away from the life he’d always live to the present he was currently in, “Danny, we are going to be dads.”

“Are you still okay with it?” Daniel asked worried.

“Of course Daniel, you and the babies was the only thing that kept me going some days. I love you and I will love them because they are ours. Are you feeling okay about it?”

“You’re here with me Colonel Jack; I am ready again for anything.”

Jack pulled Daniel forward and kissed Daniel deeply again. His lover sighed into his mouth and they settled back to making out like it was a brand new game. They stayed in bed for the rest of the day and talked about what they were going through. Jack shared about the constant attacks and being healed only to be moved and start the process all over again. Daniel shared with Jack about the truth of what Love really did to them, that there was a catch. He told Jack how devastated he’d been, how hard he tried to find a way with Jack’s presence only to discover he didn’t want to.

Jack frowned as he thought that over and hugged Daniel close, “Maybe it will fade, the desperation. Think about what a new love is like sometimes, passionate and all consuming. We have only been at this thing less than a year, finding our way with a new world, new jobs and responsibilities and the new relationship. Maybe this was just a really bad trigger and we can work away from that. Plus I bet having the kids is going to help give each of us something besides each other. I don’t want to ever lose you or have you lose me but the only thing that hurts worse than that is the thought that you would allow yourself to be injured because I wasn’t with you.”

Daniel nodded into Jack’s chest and since the scientist didn’t seem to have anything to say on the subject, he let it go and they returned to silence and staying wrapped up in each other’s arms for a while longer, waiting for the go ahead to leave the bed from Erica who was supposed to show up and check them over.

Jack was pressing kisses into the side of Daniel’s head about an hour later when Daniel asked, “What was it like?”

“What’s that Danny?” Jack asked as he pressed another kiss to his lover’s forehead.

“To die?”

“Well I didn’t die,” Jack returned with a sigh.

“The toxin slowed your heart to almost nothing; you were paralyzed and couldn’t even tell if you were breathing. How did you even get through it with your sanity intact?”

Jack smiled a little, “By thinking of you and what we have been given a chance to have here. I thought about you, the looks that I am enamored with, the heart and spirit that keeps on fighting and the life we are building here together. It was the hardest thing to lay there and feel as though my life might flash before my eyes and I really would die but I think that in that moment my whole life did flash before my eyes and that was you Danny. I was coming home to you and it kept me sane enough to make it through the creep factor and the pain of coming back. Erica had wanted to allow the toxin to wear off before the teleport by Zarkina had learned of what you were doing and rushed her to move me. I am not sorry Danny, so don’t even try to feel guilty about that. I would’ve died myself if you were gone.”

Daniel nodded a little against Jack’s chest and silence filled the space for the last time before Erica arrived who checked them over and sent them back to their apartment to decompress from the drama of everything before they figured out what they needed to do next.

 

“Jack we need to go see Desire and Lust today, see if they need anything,” Daniel stated as both men were getting dressed for the day. Several days had passed while the aches and pains of their misadventure faded and they got used to being together again, having been apart for almost as long as the they’d been married. The twins were preparing to give birth any day now and they were in bed most of the time because Vannas babies grew so fast, it took away from the mothers more so than a human baby. Erica and her husband Alec were caring for them but Daniel had taken it upon himself to be sure that the women had everything they could ever need. Jack loved the caring man that he was married to and put up with how much time they were spending with the twins, instead of getting to make up for lost time in bed.

The day before a couple of the ladies, Erica and Akina at the lead had gotten together everything they might need for the babies and had a little party in the apartment while Jack and Teal’c left in a hurry saying they didn’t need to be there for this. Daniel had rolled his eyes, kissed Jack on the cheek and watched him leave as he and the other women figured out where the cribs and changing table was going to go, where the baby clothes were going to fit in the closet and the dressers and Jack had returned to his whole life being upended and rearranged to suit the babies. He’d grumbled at Daniel and smiled the whole time, happy to see his love happy again and more than a little excited about the babies coming.

“I know Danny, I thought you were going to talk to Zarkina about your classes today,” Jack reminded his lover.

“I will, I just want to see the girls first,” Daniel responded as he slipped his boots on and stood to find Jack standing very close to him. Daniel grinned, sliding his hands up Jack’s chest. The Colonel shuddered in excitement that one simple touch awoke in him. He leaned into Daniel and took his husband’s lips in a tender kiss, which Daniel quickly responded to before pulling away abruptly, “Don’t distract me!”

“Oh come on love, I haven’t had you in too long,” Jack whined childishly mostly for show but partially because they really hadn’t had a lot of opportunities to make up for lost time and though Daniel was always willing, the babies coming had put a damper on their love life just because it was a huge distraction for Daniel who wanted everything to be perfect for their arrival.

“You ‘had me’ yesterday Jack,” Daniel said with a laugh.

“Once, I want you so much more than that Danny. I want you every second of every day. Did I tell you when I was under the effects of the toxin, the only thing that kept me alive in my head was thinking about you.”

Daniel stopped at the door and looked back at Jack with a happy little smile, “I think you mentioned it a time or to, something about my hot body and amazing soul.”

Jack strode over to Daniel, touching his scruffy cheek and grinned at the snarky commentary on Jack’s retelling of his ‘death’. Then he got distracted by the scruff on Daniel who hadn’t shaved in a couple days but Jack remembered how it felt against his chest, his inner thighs and he had the marks across his neck proving how hot he thought it was. “Danny, you are always going to be the light of my life and the sunshine in the darkest pit.”

Daniel blushed, leaned into Jack for another kiss before he darted out of the room. Jack rolled his eyes and followed at a more sedate pace. Even though he enjoyed Daniel’s enthusiasm he didn’t necessarily feel the need to join in on it. He wandered out of SG-1’s apartment, waving to Teal’c as he passed. “Did Danny leave the room?” he asked.

Teal’c nodded, “Yes he seemed very determined.”

“Going to see the twins,” Jack explained. Teal’c nodded in understanding since he spent a good portion of his day wandering around after Sam who was uncomfortably read for her pregnancy to be over with as well though she was supposed to have about a month to go. He had a hand on her any time they were in a room together. “See you later, T.”

He headed to the room where Desire and Lust were housed and stopped in the doorway and watched his very strange little family. After everything that happened with Love it was weird to think that these women had been close to Daniel in Jack’s absence and since returning the four of them had been pretty inseparable thanks to Daniel’s meddling. The girls were taking turns kissing Daniel on his cheeks as he handed them food and water. Daniel paced around the girls while Jack walked over to kiss them both on the cheek, “How is everyone feeling today?”

“We are all doing fine, Jack,” Desire responded, rubbing her distended belly where Jack’s daughter resided.

They had learned on Jack’s return that he was having a daughter and Daniel was having a son. They had discussed names thoroughly deciding together that Jack’s daughter would be named Zada Rea, in honor of the twins. Lust and Desire were thankfully not their given names, Desire was Rea and Lust was called Zada before they were sent away but from Damnation’s explanation many of the Infidels find new names for themselves since they are basically cast out from Vannas society and their families. It is not because they have to generally but because they feel there is some sense of self in choosing a name. Daniel was much more intrigued by all of that so Jack had pretty much forgotten everything else and took the names for his beautiful daughter.

Daniel’s son would be called Zale Charles, for strength and of course in memory of Charlie and Kowalski, which Daniel asked Jack’s permission for. They told all this to Sam and Teal’c who were naming their son Jacob Bratac for Sam’s father and the man that was like a father to Teal’c.

Daniel looked around frantically for something, “Do you need anything? Are you sure?” he was asking.

“Daniel please sit down before you make me dizzy,” Lust said with a giggle. Daniel collapsed on the couch between the twins and chuckled.

He placed a gently hand on Lust’s stomach and closed his eyes. Jack knew from recent experience that he was listening to the gurgling happy thoughts of his son; they’d learned last week sometime that the children had some inherent ability from their mothers to connect through touch. Jack moved to sit on the side of the couch and placed a hand on Desire’s stomach. She smiled at him and placed a hand over his. There was a sudden lifting of his spirits as his daughter filled his mind with sensation of warm safety. She always seemed to know which one of her daddies was her biological father and reacted strongly to Jack’s nearness not that she didn’t respond to Daniel it was just slightly different. When he touched Lust, it was the same.

He looked at Daniel and smiled at his husband. As long as they were together, Jack was happy and he suddenly knew without a shadow of a doubt that their children were going to grow up with friends and loving parents. If no one else ever befriended their children, these three children would be fast friends, brought together by their parents who loved them and each other.

“Daniel, are you not supposed to be going to see the queen today?” Lust asked the archeologist gently.

Daniel rolled his eyes, “Why does everyone want me to go back to work? You guys are close to labor and I want to be at your disposal.”

“Danny my love, no one wants to get rid of you but you are a little bit focused right now,” Jack said gently. Desire and Lust nodded enthusiastically.

“I’m making you all crazy then?” Daniel asked.

“Not crazy baby, just want you to go do something else for a little while.”

Daniel threw up his hands in surrender, “Fine I get it, and I am going to talk to the queen.”

Jack stood up and blocked Daniel’s escape, “I love your heart Danny and your excitement so don’t pout okay?” He leaned forward and kissed Daniel quickly. The younger man was incapable of remaining annoyed when Jack’s mouth on his and Jack was counting on it. Daniel’s arms slipped up Jack’s arms to his neck and when they separated the girls were grinning.

“What?” Daniel asked, blushing.

“It’s just nice to know we are bringing children into a loving relationship,” Desire responded.

“You do know that you are going to be welcome in their lives whenever you please right?” Daniel asked them.

Desire and Lust both nodded, “Believe me we will be here constantly to see our beautiful children growing but they are your children as we promised you some time ago.”

Jack and Daniel nodded, kissed each of the girls and left them alone, which they seemed pretty grateful for. Between Jack, Daniel and even Teal’c who was being sent to them by Sam every once in a while so he would leave his pregnant and coddled wife alone, the girls were well cared for.

They walked downstairs and into the throne room where Sir William and Zarkina were hanging out with their twin siblings as well as Taylor. The little girl caught sight of them quickly and ran over to be picked up by Jack. Daniel gave the child a quick kiss to the forehead before he walked over to Zarkina.

“Your majesty,” he said with a little half bow.

She smiled, “Please Daniel stop calling me that.”

“Zarkina, I have been told by my husband and the mothers of our children that I need a distraction. I was wondering about my class schedule.”

“I can set up a few classes but I don’t think you should be too busy otherwise you might not be able to handle when the babies come. I imagine you do not want to disappoint your fans by disappearing all together again.”

“My fans?” Daniel asked with a grin.

“Your students love you very much Daniel Jackson. Your children are going to come first though, they must.”

Daniel nodded, “That’s what I want, and apparently I am driving the twins and Jack batty with my constant supervision.”

“Yes well, for now your students can meet with you here so you won’t be far from the girls and it will get you out of their hair for a little while. How are the girls? Does Erica need to visit them again?”

Daniel shook his head, “They are well enough to complain this morning.”

Zarkina chuckled, “That may have nothing to do with health and everything to do with a woman’s reason for being.”

“This is true, where would you like for my class to meet?”

Zarkina pointed out the tables set off to the side of the throne, “Here is fine, I would love to hear part of what you’re teaching. Why don’t we make some optional classes right after breakfast starting tomorrow and we’ll do one every other day. When the girls go into labor, they will be informed.”

Daniel gulped a little; Zarkina was always interested for others to learn but to hear she might join part of his class made Daniel wish he hadn’t let Jack convince him he needed to do this. “Sure, that would be great.”

“Do not be nervous Daniel, you are a brilliant man and well-spoken also. You have nothing to prove.”

“That’s easier for you to say, you’re the queen,” Daniel responded.

“Yes and someday maybe I can tell you some of the stupid things I did before becoming the queen and a few of the ones that have happened since then.”

“Ignoring Zara,” William muttered from next to her.

Zarkina elbowed William in the gut for that one; he made a noise of pain, which was possibly true. Zarkina wasn’t known to pull punches even with her spouse. “Ignore him.”

“I want to hear that story,” Daniel said with a grin.

“Maybe some other time, right now you should probably go save your husband from my daughter. Go and spend some time with Jack, pretty soon it’s going to be the four of you and you are going to be very upset you missed these last couple of chances to just be a couple.”

Daniel nodded and walked back to Jack and they sent Taylor on her way back to Zarkina and William. Jack wrapped his arm over Daniel’s shoulder and looked over at him, “Everything figured out?”

“Classes here every other day starting tomorrow morning so they can be told when the girls go into labor and no one will have to go very far to get me.”

“Great, you’re a great teacher Daniel, the Vannas are lucky to have you.”

“How would you know, you used to sleep during my briefings back home,” Daniel said as he pushed Jack. The colonel just came right back to holding Daniel close to his side as they headed back upstairs.

“I never slept love; I was just working on something else. And I have seen you teach your classes, you light up like a Christmas tree and I fall in love with you all over again.”

Daniel turned his head and smiled at Jack, “Really?”

“Danny, I fall in love with you pretty easily and I do it every day.”

Daniel wrapped his hand around the back of Jack’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss. Jack smiled against his lips and Daniel pulled away to whisper against Jack’s mouth, “Catch me.” Then Daniel took off for their room and could hear Jack fumbling behind him. He ran into the apartment and further into their bedroom and started throwing off his clothes. He was pulling off his shoes when Jack came up behind him and jerked him upright and took his mouth in a deep kiss. Daniel moaned into Jack’s mouth as their tongues slid against one another’s mouth. Jack didn’t settle in one place for very long, he slipped down Daniel’s neck and sucked at the spot where Daniel’s throat met his shoulder. Daniel figured there was going to be a mark there and it just made him hotter.

“Jack, I want you now!” he stammered as Jack’s tongue slipped down Daniel’s bare chest. The Colonel’s teeth nipped at his pectoral muscle and then his nipple, Daniel moaned and jerked away from Jack so he could throw off Jack’s shirt and his own pants. He hopped into their bed, spreading his legs provocatively and with a grin; Jack ditched the rest of his clothes and jumped on top of Daniel.

“Ride me Danny?” Jack asked as he kissed as much of Daniel’s chest as possible. He could feel Daniel nodding his assent. He moved and Jack settled on his back before Daniel relaxed beside him. He leaned down and kissed Jack passionately before he climbed onto Jack’s chest and tossed his lover the lube.

“Get me ready,” Daniel said as he turned around and wrapped his lips around Jack’s cock. His partner jerked off the bed in response.

“Geez Danny!”

Daniel grinned and went to work making his lover crazy with need. He felt when Jack breached his hole with one lubed finger and he focused on what was in front of him when Jack slipped another finger inside and started to really stretch him while his other hand slid down between his legs and took hold of Daniel’s penis. He didn’t want Jack to come without him so when Jack’s hand movements became erratic; Daniel turned again and with a hand on Jack’s chest and the other guiding his husband’s cock inside his body. He watched Jack’s face, seeing the contentment he felt in himself.

“What are you thinking, my Colonel Jack?” Daniel whispered as he started riding Jack’s erection. He pushed down with enough force that Jack sat up a little with a gasp.

“I am thinking what I always think when I’m inside you,” he grunted between thrusts and stuttered gasps pressed against Daniel’s chest when he rose up against him for a moment.

“And that is?” Daniel asked as he kept his motions slow, building the tension in them both.

“That I’m home,” Jack finally said, having lost the conversation for a moment. After Jack’s words though Daniel had no intention of continuing the conversation. He picked up his movements and pulled Jack up to lock their lips together. Jack was thrusting upwards as Daniel slammed his hips down on Jack’s lap. He panted into Jack’s mouth.

“You’re my home, Colonel I love you!”

Jack grunted as he climaxed inside Daniel before he reached in between their bodies, grasped Daniel’s erection and with a few strokes Daniel was releasing all over their chests. Leaving them breathing heavily as Jack gently turned them over before pulling out of Daniel. He stumbled into the bathroom to retrieve a towel to clean up but he didn’t return for several minutes.

Daniel finally looked over to the open door, “Love what you doing?”

Jack walked back in and pulled Daniel gently from the bed, wary of rushing him so soon after orgasm. Daniel wasn’t known for being top of his game during satiation. Plus he was always a little sore for obvious reasons. Jack seemed to have found a perfect solution though, having filled the big tub for them in musk scented water. Daniel gladly sunk into the depths of the water and allowed room for Jack to slide in behind him before he settled back against Jack’s chest. Jack wrapped Daniel in his arms and they just stayed like that for a little while.

It wouldn’t be the last place they ended up on their small honeymoon and it wasn’t the last time they would make love for the day but for right then both men were content to be quiet and in each other’s arms.


	25. Royal Studen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akina and Jack chat over pie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously an earlier chapter as this story has been extended and developed a little. I will repost this chapter when I get it back from my Beta but I didn't want the story to be incomplete.

Jack watched Daniel wander around the tables he was using for his classes until the babies were born, grinning at Daniel since he was being ridiculous about this. Zarkina was in the room and she was planning on staying for the class and Daniel was worried about what she was going to think.

The Colonel was under no illusion that Daniel needed him to get through this, but Jack wanted to be there because a squirming Daniel was funny to behold and as he told Daniel on more than one occasion in the last several days, Jack liked watching Daniel teach every once in a while because it made him love the archeologist even more.

Daniel’s students started to arrive moments later and Zarkina stayed away for the moment as Daniel announced that he was planning on speaking about Egyptian mythology, it was something that many of his students had a passion for and it was something that Daniel had extensive knowledge on. He had other more focused classes but these castle classes were kind of just for fun.

Once Daniel got started on the gods and goddesses plus the civilization of the Egyptians he didn’t really notice when Zarkina sat down next to Jack in the back. Ever since Jack announced that watching Daniel teach was a pleasurable experience for Jack, Daniel stopped looking at him while teaching. It was funny when Jack walked in mid speech, just to watch Daniel’s face turn red and he would mumble for a few minutes until a student reminded him of what he was saying.

“He’s really quite astonishing,” Zarkina whispered to Jack.

He turned slightly to look at her, “I know he is, one of the many reasons I fell in love with him.”

“You love his brain and his body?” she asked with a grin and a waggle of her brows.

“As well as his heart, his compassion, his morality, I could go on.”

Zarkina smiled at him, “I am in love as well, O’Neill, I understand.”

“How long have you and Sir William been together again?”

“Our whole lives but there are pieces still missing, thanks to something that happened a couple years ago. We have been officially married for about two years.”

“I have known Daniel for about five years; I remember when I first met him.”

“Since he is no longer squirming, shall we go and have some pie in the kitchen and you can tell me all about it? I would hate to get into trouble with the professor the first time I get to hear him teach.”

Jack stared at her in shock, “How’d you know?” he asked, he hadn’t thought he was being that obvious about why he was there. Jack watched Daniel teach all the time.

She pointed to her temple, “I can’t stop Zara from peeking every once in a while, it keeps her entertained remember? Also I hate to repeat myself but I love to watch William squirm when he’s running the Council meetings, he hates them and I know it. It’s why he’s in charge of them.”

Jack snickered as they stood, waving to Daniel who barely looked up from where he was writing the hierarchy of the Egyptian society. He would think Zarkina had something to do and Jack walks out of his classes all the time, he can always ask Daniel to talk about it later as foreplay. Definitely wasn’t the subject matter that made it hot, just how lively and passionate Daniel got about it is what got him worked up.

They wandered through the halls towards the kitchen and Jack grinned happy that Zarkina had found a way to make pies for Jack since he raved about them all the time. They settled around one of the small tables and she waved over a kitchen server for the pie.

“So what happened the first time you met Daniel?” she asked as she leaned forward on the table, pressing her chin into her fist, waiting with rapt attention.

Jack laughed, “He was this geek who sneezed a lot but he was a genius. They had the Gate for four years and they couldn’t figure it out, it took him two weeks. Hell they didn’t even translate the name correctly. He came in and waved his stick of chalk and showed everyone up in minutes of arriving.”

Zarkina’s eyes widened in shock, “So he really is a genius?”

“I say he is but not because of some test which was how people used to gauge intelligence. His brilliance isn’t determined on paper, its determined in the field. He has this amazing ability to see past what’s right in front of you. I remember this one time when a creature called a Unas once kidnapped him, they are big and scary. You know what Danny did?”

Zarkina shrugged, smiling as she dug into her pie, which was delivered to them by one of the kitchen workers. Jack noticed in the Valley that everyone was treated with the utmost respect from the queen, even those people who worked to serve them food three times a day; it was a welcome difference from even 2001 when food service industry workers are treated poorly.

Jack continued the story; “He befriended the creature, dissected and learned his language and saved himself instead of waiting to be saved. He probably saved the creature from being killed by me.”

“He’s an amazing man for sure, when did you realize you were in love with him?”

“When Love dosed us,” Jack said with a wink while he munched on the pie. It was some kind of fruit pie but he was just happy to be eating something that reminded him of happy days on base, sitting around a table getting to know Teal’c and happily dragging Sam and Daniel out of their workaholic modes more than once.

“I’m serious Jack, when?”

“I don’t know when, he’s the one who convinced me not to commit suicide on the first trip to Abydos, he moved into my place right after he got back a year later and we’ve been a part of each other ever since. I probably thought about him a lot that year but I wasn’t in love with him, I had been in love with my wife though that had died a pretty long and miserable death because of Charlie. The first time I really found myself feeling something more than friendship was when I thought he was dead. I left him wounded on a ship that I then watched explode. I found out later that he healed himself in a Sarcophagus and jumped through the Stargate. I thought he was dead, I believed in my heart and soul that he was gone and I wouldn’t ever get the chance to tell him how much I truly cared about him.”

“But he didn’t die.”

“Obviously. When I hugged him after he made his grand appearance I didn’t know what to make of the feeling of coming home finally,” Jack murmured, remembering feeling so confused and then to have ‘Space Monkey’ come out of his mouth in exchange for all the other things he’d wanted to say. “I couldn’t find the strength, the courage it would take to be honest with him. I just became overprotective in the field as well as on the base. He was picked on a lot because of his hair and the fact that he wasn’t military.”

“He seems to have come through it all very well,” Zarkina replied with a smile.

“That’s the amazing thing about Danny; he can live through anything and keep on loving and accepting whatever comes his way. He was the first to really accept this place as a home, we had to catch up with him, and he understood that we all left behind a life but truthfully, SG-1 is Daniel’s family and we’re with him. That’s all he really cared about, us staying together and alive.”

“You had family?” Zarkina asked though to Jack it didn’t really sound like a question.

Jack flinched a little but with several years between the death of Charlie and now, he could share the story without falling apart. “I had a son and he shot himself with my gun on accident. My wife and I separated because of this.”

Zarkina watched him with sympathy and touched his arm gently, “I am sorry you lived through that pain. I am surprised then that you decided to have children with Daniel so quickly then.”

“I think about the life we have here together and I know that I am done waiting for everything. I want to be a dad again and Daniel is the love of my life, it only makes sense that we would take this step together. I’m sure there are going to be moments when Charlie pops into my head and I feel that pain once more but there is nothing I can do but try to move on and keep living. Daniel is naming our son Zale Charles, after my son who was named for a dear friend that we lost in combat the first year of the Gate Program.”

Zarkina smiled, “Of course he is. He wishes to honor the beauty and innocence of your fallen son and friend. I am glad he has made it his middle name though.”

Jack chuckled, “Yeah I would have a hard time calling a new little boy Charlie, and I like Zale.”

“It’s a good strong name; one of our Gods is named Zale.”

“Really?” Jack asked.

“Yes when the Magis Gods and Goddess were given corporeal form, they chose their physical bodies as well as their names; Zale is the God of strength and cunning. He used to reach out to our military leaders to give them help when they need it.”

“You talk about these Gods like they are something you can see and touch,” Jack responded, feeling a little concerned about anyone claiming to be Gods, even the Asgard were troubling sometimes.

“They were mostly destroyed when we came to this planet; they died to protect us all in the final days of the destruction of LeViannas. Many of them, like Zara, passed on their genetics and power by fooling around with Vannas but they are still something we pray to for guidance. Now Zale exists in his entire Vannas line, stronger than ever which is really important right now with the unrest we have with Zarcorp.”

Jack nodded and went back to eating his pie. Zarkina continued to watch Jack but he ignored it for the pie in front of him but by the time he was done, he couldn’t handle her attention anymore. “What?”

“You are an interesting man, Jonathon O’Neill.”

“It’s always strange when you call me that, my mother was the only one to ever call me that and you are younger than me by quite a few years.”

“I also have a creature sharing my head space that has lived for a much longer time; I am also someone who has lived a lot in a short amount of time.”

“I can’t argue that, why am I interesting to you?”

“You were cautious of us with good reason when you got here, you were the leader of SG1 and that was all you knew. Almost a year later you train with my warriors and are married and expecting a family. Have you found acceptance in your heart to be here in this time?”

Jack shrugged not really knowing how to answer the question because he still had mixed feelings about the life they were living here. “I accept that there is no way to rebuild the DHD as well as a way to track solar flares, and I understand in this time humans are the ones that are making the wrong choices. I have been held on both sides of the equation and your people have never purposefully tried to hurt my team or me. And I have Danny; I could have never been with him in our time because of my position and my unwavering heterosexuality. I didn’t know that he could ever love me in return and back then a homosexual couple did not have it easy.”

Zarkina smiled, “You also still have Samantha and Teal’c as well as their child.”

Jack shrugged, “It might be strange but honestly that’s all I need though we might need a bigger place soon with three children on the way.”

“Well we can work on that, I am not worried about you being harmed outside the castle anymore, Daniel is well loved in the classroom and you and Teal’c are respected in the fighting exercises as well as Sam’s intellect.”

Jack frowned, “You offered us the rooms here because you thought people would hurt us?”

“I didn’t know what my people would do about strangers who weren’t like us, Amada and Nadio proved that it was a good choice at the time but now, it seems unfair to keep you here where you won’t have room for the children and you won’t have a chance to get to know other people of the Valley.”

“What about Taylor?” Jack asked, thinking of the royal daughter he’d come to thoroughly love.

“She would always be allowed to visit your family. We can either move you to a bigger apartment here in the castle or we can build you a house somewhere close by, I imagine that being without powers means that your families will need to be able to see our healers on a semi constant basis so I wouldn’t want you guys across the island where you couldn’t get the care you need.”

“All your people have healing abilities?”

“We have several healing families but all Vannas have the added benefit of accelerated healing.”

Jack nodded in understanding, luckily something about this place and the people in it many of his aches and pains from being close to fifty had dissipated but someday that wasn’t going to be the case. Daniel was also an accident waiting to happen most of the time because he was clumsy and most of the time his mind was elsewhere. He had recently requested that many of the outer lying towns start looking for books that may have survived the end of the world and so far several had been found and sent back to Daniel. He was teaching with them as well as starting a library in their apartment. They set in some bookcases and the man had taken several tumbles from his ladder already causing problems. “I will speak to Danny, Sam and Teal’c about our options but I know for sure they are not going to want an upheaval this close to the twins giving birth.”

“Of course Jack, I completely understand. We can discuss it after you have spoken to your team.” She continued to stare at him in confusion.

“What?” Jack asked with a breathy laugh.

“Are you sad to give up your station with SG1?”

“You mean being a Colonel?” he asked.

She nodded as she nibbled on the last bite of forgotten pie in front of her. “Yes, I have known all my life that I would be stepping into this position of power, I hated it and ran from it. What is it like for you now that you’ve been forced to leave the title behind?”

“Well I think you have to understand that when I was on missions, which translates to a lot of the time only Sam had to listen to me. Teal’c chooses to listen and Daniel argues more than he agrees most of the time. I was second in command on base but that didn’t change who I was, I am bossy and I tell it like it is. I haven’t lost the respect of my team or my partner; they still trust my judgment so in a way my place here with Daniel, Teal’c and Sam has been solidified. They live their own lives and make their own choices but they trust me. Not to mention, in the bedroom Daniel calls me ‘Colonel’ not that he listens to me there either.”

Zarkina chuckled before she nodded in understanding, “Interesting man.”

“Why did you fight your position?” Jack asked, curiosity forcing the words from his mouth.

Zarkina sighed, “There were many prophecies about my leadership and the contribution I would make as queen as well as many of the large decisions were already made, I just had to follow the script they laid out before me. I have no intention of allowing Seers to control my decisions.”

“And now?”

Zarkina smiled, “I have not changed my mind, I make decisions and let the history holders and seers decide if I did what I was supposed to. I accepted my position finally because my people needed me and I love them. I would do anything to make sure they are safe and protected.”

“Including letting Nadio take me?” Jack asked, he didn’t really think she did it but he had to be sure.

Zarkina frowned at him, “Of course not, I believed that what he was asking was too dangerous for any of you. You stood up to him for me, which is worth protecting. SG-1 is worth protecting, you are my people as well.”

“I apologize for questioning you,” Jack replied though he didn’t really mean it. He had to be sure his team was safe with this woman.

Zarkina snorted, “You are not sorry, so do not pretend with me. I have accepted that you do not respond to my position like the rest of the world.”

“I mean no disrespect of your position,” Jack responded honestly.

“I know that, Jack, I enjoy our talks. You are honest and as you said, you do not put on airs. It’s refreshing to have someone treat me like a human outside the immediate family.”

Jack grinned, “Danny is always trying to get me to behave myself when it comes to royalty and people of power, I wasn’t even really the perfect respectful soldier with my General but Daniel just doesn’t want me put in prison.”

“Well with my family, you do not have to worry about that.”

Jack grinned, “So it’s true that sometimes having friends in high places is very good.”

“Oh yes, Jack very good. So why don’t you go find your Daniel and go do something together. He should be done with class.”

“Thanks for the pie, Queen, and the talk.” Jack gave her a silly salute, which she reciprocated with a laugh. She turned to speak to someone in the kitchen as Jack left and walked back to the throne room where Daniel was cleaning up and speaking to a few students who were waiting for his attention. Jack just stood inside the door and watched him, his hands moving wildly around as he spoke about Egypt. The ancient civilization was one that Daniel had a deep passion for because it was where he grew up with his parents and that’s why he’d chosen the topic for these classes, they weren’t going to help anyone in this time but it was fun for his students and they seemed to thoroughly enjoy the topic, if the crowd waiting was an indication.

As the last student asked their questions and got their answers, Jack walked closer to Daniel and moved up close behind him as Daniel was neatly piling leftover work sheets in front of him. The younger man’s body completely melted against Jack’s chest and he purred inside his chest. He loved that response and he got it every time.

“The queen thinks you’re a genius,” Jack murmured into his lover’s ear.

“Oh,” Daniel whispered as he held Jack tight. “She didn’t stay all that long.”

“She didn’t need to, your genius is pretty obvious,” Jack whispered as he sucked at Daniel’s ear lobe before he nipped at the bit of skin.

“Where did you go off to in the middle of my lecture?” Daniel husked as pressed back against Jack’s body.

“The queen and I went to have pie and talk about you,” Jack said as he crouched down so he could lay down wet kisses all along Daniel’s throat.

“Why would you talk about me?” Daniel questioned, his voice growing husky. Jack moved one of his hands to the middle of Daniel’s chest so he could feel the thump of his quickening heartbeat, while the other moved to play over and under the edge of Daniel’s pants. Daniel’s breath came out in a whoosh when Jack’s hand slipped a little too low.

“Because when you are teaching, I want you so badly. It makes me ache to hold you and be with you.”

Daniel squeaked, “That’s what you talked about?”

“Of course not, we just discussed your genius and how I first fell in love with you.”

“Sounds like a nice conversation, can we go upstairs please?” Daniel pleaded.

Jack grinned as he pulled Daniel’s face around and kissed his hot husband quickly before he shifted his hard and aching cock and started walking out of the room. Daniel was left standing in front of the table, breathing heavily as he grabbed all his paperwork and put it conveniently in front of his pants before he moved to follow Jack. They stumbled up the stairs, trying to get to their door first. They made it into the apartment and Daniel abandoned his papers and books on the table before he pushed Jack up against the nearest wall and ravaged his mouth, the kisses long and passionate. Daniel’s alpha persona didn’t show up very often but when it happened Jack sat up and took notice, it was an incredibly hot thing to behold.

Before they started climbing out of their clothing though Jack pushed Daniel into their bedroom where everyone wouldn’t hear them who happened by, plus the two couples tried not to have sex in the living room since the four members of SG-1 shared the space.

Jack slammed the door behind them and turned to watch Daniel strip off his shirt and slip into their big bed; the younger man settled on his back and spread his legs provocatively. Jack smiled as he stripped out of his clothes and followed Daniel onto the bed, determined to follow through on his promises.


	26. Birth of the Future SG-1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Babies are coming!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated, waiting for return from Beta will be updated again when that happens.
> 
> 10/9/2015

Daniel sat up quickly, and then wondered why he was awake. He rubbed at his tired eyes and looked over to see Jack hiding his head under the pillows, still asleep despite Daniel’s sudden movements. He smiled, leaning down to lay gentle kisses along Jack’s shoulder blade before he started to curl around his husband once more, trying to go back to sleep for a little while longer if he could.

Then there was a pounding on the bedroom door, he frowned as he pulled on his pajama bottoms and walked over to the door. Opening it, he found Sam looking freaked out. Her bulging belly under her shimmering nightgown made Daniel think of the twins. “What is it?” he asked as Jack moved to stand behind him at the door as if he teleported off the bed and into some clothes. They had been expecting the twins to go into labor several weeks ago and they had been having difficulties recently meaning that Erica was staying close by for them.

“The twins are having complications; Zarkina and Erica were just here to relay the message before returning to their sides.”

Daniel sucked in a breath, fighting the fear as Jack moved quickly, grabbing them each a t-shirt, which he obediently slipped over his head, and they both wandered out of the bedroom with bare feet and down to the room that the twins had been in for months now.

Then they heard the scream, which came from the infirmary room; both men turned and walked over to the door. Daniel reached out to take Jack’s hand as the Colonel took the lead and pulled open the door.

Inside they found Erica, Alec, Zarkina as well as several other healers working in frenzy around the twins who looked rung out and gaunt from whatever they were going through.

“What’s going on?” Jack demanded in his best Colonel voice trying to get answers and maybe to infuse a little authority into the chaos. It wasn’t very logical but it did a little to comfort Daniel.

Zarkina walked over and pushed them out of the room and closed the door, “You cannot be in there right now. The babies and the moms are both struggling through this, I do not understand the reason nor does Erica. I get the sense that the babies are more Vannas than Regis.”

“What does that mean?” Daniel asked.

“They are, for some reason, more powerful than we originally believed. The twins are having trouble maintain the kind of energy required for giving birth all the while the babies have decided it is time to join you here. He are attempting to decide if removing them would be better than allowing the birth to happen naturally but you need to wait out here.”

Daniel squeezed Jack’s hand, “The girls will be okay won’t they? The babies too?”

Zarkina smiled at him sadly, “I cannot promise you anything Daniel, we have the best healers here right now and they need to focus if you wish to see this resolved quickly. Go back to your room and wait, I will come get you as soon as I can, with good news I hope.”

Jack did an about face without even speaking, the anger on his face almost coving the fear but not quite. They returned to their room and Daniel settled on the couch with Jack’s arm around him while Sam pacing in front of them, her belly leading the charge as she muttered about ways to help. Teal’c followed behind her, making sure she didn’t run into anything or run herself tired.  Daniel would have enjoyed the dichotomy of their relationship any other time; it was fun to watch the tough Jaffa when he was worried about Sam who for her part rarely let him coddle her. They were amusing most of the time and Daniel enjoyed the knowledge that Teal’c would do anything for Sam.

Just like he would for Jack.

Daniel tucked his head against Jack’s shoulder and he felt the Colonel’s lips touch his head gently. They were in for a long night and he knew there was no reason to try climbing back into bed because they wanted to be awake for any news that might filter to them throughout the process.

Jack held Daniel as he dozed on the Colonel’s shoulder. The archeologist had taken his turn pacing the room, Sam had finally stopped at the request of her spouse and she was sleeping in her bed. It would not do her any good to sleep on a chair in her condition.

He didn’t know exactly how long it had been since they heard the screams of the mothers, how long it had been since Erica delivered her last message but his patience had run thin. The only reason he wasn’t across the hall, demanding answers was that Daniel was wrapped up in his arms.

Jack had every intention of letting his husband sleep as much as he could; Daniel had been through a lot during the pregnancy of the girls with his disappearance as well as his own personal self-destruction. Jack couldn’t do anything about the past but he could be here for his beloved when he needed him. Instead of action which would have made him feel better, he was sticking to comfort for Danny.

“Jack?” Daniel mumbled against his shoulder. Jack turned his head and kissed Daniel’s forehead as he held his husband against him.

“Its okay, Danny, I’m right here. Why don’t you try to sleep a little longer?”

“Have we heard anything?” Daniel croaked, still groggy from sleep.

Jack shook his head gently, “Last we heard they were performing surgery to get the babies out. So far everyone is still alive.”

“Why did we make this decision?” Daniel mumbled against Jack’s neck. He could feel Daniel’s tears against his skin. Jack ran a soothing hand through Daniel’s silky hair. “We could lose them all!”

Jack knew all the words; he’d been thinking the same thing for a while now. The twins trusted them and offered to carry their children to term and after everything they could die. Jack didn’t want to think about the daughter he’d brought into this world and what she was going through, he thought of all those times when he’d touched Desire’s stomach and felt her warm him from the inside out. He already had a loving relationship with this unborn child and now he would possibly never get the chance to hold her. He wanted to meet Daniel’s son and let him know that both his daddies were going to love him.

Daniel struggled away from him, standing up and started to pace again. Jack heaved out a sigh as he stood again and stepped in front of Daniel. He tucked the young man’s face into his neck and hugged Daniel until his arms wrapped around him and waited for the fall out.

“It’s going to be okay Danny,” he whispered into Daniel’s ear. He kissed the side of his husband’s face and listened to the small sobs that were forcing their way out of Daniel’s body.

“Jack, Daniel?” Erica called from their open door.

The two men turned immediately towards the woman, she was tired and her hair was pulled back in a messy bun. It looked as though her hands had been through it more than once but she didn’t look devastated so Jack took that as a good sign. “How are they?”

“Come meet your son and daughter, the twins are alive as well.”

Daniel jerked away from Jack and hugged Erica tightly before he jetted across the hall and Jack followed at a slower pace. He touched Erica’s shoulder, “Thank you,” he whispered to her.

She smiled tiredly, it looked like the whole experience had been rough from start to finish for the woman and Jack appreciated what she’d done all the more, “My pleasure Jack.”

He walked into the room to watch Daniel kiss Lust gently on the forehead. She was smiling at him but looked about to faint again. Jack walked over to Desire and gave her a gentle kiss as well. Then they both traded greetings with the other twin before they were brought towards the two small cribs. Jack looked down at the small bodies that were wiggling around in the confines. They were perfect, both had a spattering of dark hair on their head, taking after the twins but he somehow knew which his daughter was just as Daniel reached out a hand to touch their son. Jack reached in to touch her soft cheek and the little girl shifted a little towards him. He smiled as he felt that warmth and love she always projected from the womb. He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently. He looked over to Daniel who was touching their son and the tears in his eyes shimmered and wavered on his lashes.

“They’re okay, Danny. All of them.”

Daniel nodded and the tears could no longer hold onto his lashes. Jack moved around the cribs even as he kept his hand on their daughter. He reached out and took Daniel into his arms, his free hand tucked at Daniel’s neck. He pulled his lover into a gentle kiss and hugged him tightly.

After standing next to the cribs for several minutes Jack finally turned back to Erica who had followed them back into the room and she had a shimmer of tears at her lower lashes as well at the scene before her, “What do the twins need?”

She shook her head in confusion, “I do not think there is anything you can do to help really but they are going to be lactating for the babies. With them being stronger than their mothers magically, they are going to need the milk because it’s infused with more than just nutrition but power. They will need to continue to be close to the babies and they are going to be on bed rest for a couple weeks as they heal from this pregnancy.”

“And the babies? How can we help them? We aren’t going to know how to raise them with powers.”

“That should not be a concern for you right now. There abilities are mostly those powers of all Vannas children, though he seem much more capable of sharing themselves with you then I have seen but that is something they had in the womb but please do not borrow trouble, my friend.”

“Well if I don’t borrow it, I am going to get it anyway,” Jack said with a wink.

“You should leave the babies here in this room for couple days until the girls can get a supply of milk bottled for you. We shall have several healers and nurses with them at all times and you will be able to move them into your room soon.”

Jack looked over at Daniel who had one hand on each child, “Getting Danny away from the babies might be more trouble than it’s worth Doc.”

Erica looked over and smiled, “We can bring palettes in here for you so you can stay with them.”

Jack nodded before watching his husband, “Can we hold them?”

Erica smiled, “Of course, these are your children. You need time to bond with them.”

Jack walked over and moved a struggling Daniel away from the cribs so he could settle his lover on one of the couches before he lifted Zale’s little body from the crib and brought the little one over to his father, “Zale Charles, this is your father Daniel Jackson,” he whispered to the baby. He settled the small body into Daniel’s arms and walked back to get Zada before he too sat down on the couch. He held her gently to his chest and watched her as she settled against him and quickly slipped into sleep.

“Zada Rea,” Daniel whispered next to him, “This is your father, Jack O’Neill.”

 

Daniel stared down at the small body he was holding hours after meeting Zale for the first time. Sam and Teal’c had been into see them and others had come to see the children as well as the twins. He’d been unable to release his son to anyone beside Lust for a few feedings. There was no way he could stop touching his child. After everything they had gone through to bring him and his sister into this world, he couldn’t bring himself to remove his hands. He just snuggled up to Jack’s side and listened to the snuffling of Zada and Zale in their arms.

“You should think about putting them down some time,” Zarkina said from the doorway, Daniel had stopped wondering a while ago if she was teleporting from one room to another of if she was just incredibly quiet. After months of living in the castle with her, it just wasn’t important and she didn’t surprise him all that much anymore, thankfully since he didn’t want to startle the sleeping baby in his arms that the queen figured he should put down. Daniel didn’t see that happening for a while, he’d been so worried about this fatherhood thing but hadn’t really understood what it would be like to look down at your child and fall in love with them.

“Can’t seem to let him go,” Daniel stated softly, watching as Zale shifted in his arms at his father’s voice. The babies were incredibly in tune with their parents, all four of them but they weren’t as connected to Lust and Desire which was possibly because the twins were planning on not being a part of their life. Zale and Zada understood at a strange unknown level that Daniel and Jack were their parents.

“I seem to be having the same problem.”

Daniel smiled as he looked over at Jack; they shared a smile and a gentle kiss. Zale whimpered in his sleep from the movements before he relaxed again. Daniel didn’t think he was ever going to get tired of the warm feeling he got every time his son was in physical contact with him, he wondered a little about what thoughts were behind the warmth that Zale transmitted through skin-to-skin contact but he figured he would never know.

“You both need to sleep,” Zarkina said as she walked over to them and placed her hand on Daniel’s cheek. Jack grumbled about the contact even as Daniel ignored the queen’s presence. She moved her other hand to Jack before she touched the babies as well. “I am doing a quick check on your vitals, you both are fighting off exhaustion and you need to let your children relax. They are working hard in sleep to reaffirm their love for you, let them really relax for a little while.”

Daniel looked up sharply at her. He didn’t like the idea that he was making his son work hard and not giving him a chance to really rest, “What do you mean? They’re sleeping.”

“Looks in Vannas can be very deceiving, they are working hard to communicate with you when they should be resting. They have had a hard day as well. What is more important to you, their health or the comfort you have from holding them?”

Daniel nodded resolutely, leaning down to kiss the soft downy hair on their son’s head before he settled Zale into the crib. He turned and helped Jack to his feet before he kissed their daughter’s head as well. He waited for Jack to kiss both the children before the returned to their pallet on the floor; the couple slipped into the thin blanket, into each other’s arms and fell into a deep sleep that they had been holding off from with just the strength of their stubbornness.

 

Jack drifted awake slowly at the snuffling sounds of their children. It was dark in the room, but he didn’t know what time it really was. He sat up on the small bed on the floor and saw Lust and Desire feeding the babies. He smiled at them and settled back down next to Daniel whose eyes were open wearily. Jack grinned down at his lover, leaned down and kissed him gently. He pulled back just enough to speak, “Hey baby.”

Daniel grinned up at him, “Hey.  Why wake?” he asked in stilted English.

“I just heard the babies?” Jack responded and kissed Daniel again before he settled back down next to him. Daniel curled up next to him, which surprised Jack. He thought Daniel might use the excuse to hold his son again. Then just as Jack was slipping into sleep Daniel snapped up and looked over at the bed where the girls were finishing with the babies, holding and burping them.

“Can I hold him?” Daniel asked as he scurried off the ground. Jack grinned as he sat up and walked around the other bed to Desire and offered to take Zada from her. She graciously relinquished the child and Jack immediately felt the rush of tenderness that accompanied holding his child, the one that he felt because he was already head over heels in love with her and the feelings she sent through their touch. It reminded him of what the queen said so he settled Zada against his shoulder to rock her gently into a light sleep before he settled her back into her crib. Leaning down he kissed her gently before looking at Daniel who was staring down at his son once more unable to put the small bundle down.

“Danny, remember he needs real rest,” Jack mentioned so Daniel heaved an annoyed sigh before walking over and settling the other small body into his bed and kissing the little boy’s forehead. The couple stood there, transfixed by the sight of their beautiful children lying there so peaceful before they retired to their palette again. Jack was going to be glad when they were in their own bed again, this one pretty much sucked.

Jack kissed Daniel’s hair as the younger man settled his head on Jack’s chest. Daniel continued to be comforted by listening to Jack’s heart, it was his personal wave machine and it put him to sleep more often than not. Jack settled into the knowledge that they were safe and together and their children were here. Sam was going to have her son very soon and the three children were going to grow up together. Jack had demanded to know how quickly his child, Daniel’s child was going to grow now that they were out of the womb and they were assured that their development was going to slow to almost human proportions but there were still going to be things they did more quickly because of the symbiot within, it just came with the territory of children born with beings in them who were thousands of years old.

Jack decided he was going to worry about it another time, maybe in several more hours as he drifted in a sea of unbelievable happiness. And it was all thanks to the strange device that had brought them to the future. Without the Gate, he wouldn’t have Daniel and he wouldn’t have a new son and daughter. There was nothing good in his life before he’d been dragged into a suicidal mission and he happened to meet a sneezing nerd scientist that took his breath away from the first time they were in each other’s presence. There was no other way to explain Daniel’s impact on his life, Jack thought. He was Jack’s life. With that happy thought Jack drifted into sleep once more.

Daniel drifted awake to find the room filled with light from the windows and the children were being fed once more. After the feeding, the burping and changing of their diapers the fathers were permitted to hold them again. The babies didn’t stay awake long but Daniel watched his son’s bright blue eyes as the baby gazed at him. He was pretty sure they weren’t supposed to do that yet but he was amazed the warm feelings spreading from his son and into himself, he couldn’t get over the amazing connection he shared with Zale. There was no way to describe it and do it justice, it was perfect love and acceptance and Daniel eyes glistened with tears up every time he felt it.

They settled the babies into their beds once more, when the children fell asleep in their fathers’ arms. Daniel felt like it was getting a little easier to let go of his bundle of cute because he knew that he could be keeping Zale from getting rest. He knew the babies were safe and it helped that they were in the room with them pretty much at all times. They took their meals with the twins and the babies and time stretched out before them. They slept when the twins and babies slept then spent time talking and holding their children.  The rest of their wakeful periods were spent helping the twins’ bottle milk since the twins had readily agreed that they weren’t prepared to be full time mothers’. They had only decided on this because they would be permitted to walk away and have guest appearances on occasion.

Daniel felt a twinge of regret that the six of them wouldn’t continue in this pseudo living situation but he understood the twins’ reluctance to change the situation. Daniel and Jack were the married ones, they were the parents and the girls had no intention of leaving behind their wild ways for quite some time, and that was something Daniel didn’t think his husband would have the patience to deal with. They had signed up for two babies not four, and that’s what the twins would turn into for them, people they would have to watch out for and keep safe. It had been reasonable when they’d been pregnant but now there was no reason to hold off their lives.

They would continue to come to give them more milk every couple of days for several months before Daniel and Jack started to wean them off the stuff but for now, they would need the nutrients and powers that were inherent in Vannas Mother’s milk.

It was about a week into their new children’s’ lives that Sam was holding Zada, who adored her ‘Auntie Sam’ and would grin at her often when their blond and pregnant friend gripped her stomach and handed the baby over to Jack as Daniel helped to her sit down. Jack hurried out of the room to find Teal’c in their apartment. The Jaffa followed him back into the other room where Sam was panting from the pain.

“What’s happening? Its to soon!” Sam shrieked.

Desire and Lust had been visiting downstairs and they came into the room to Sam screaming in pain, as the mattress under her was soaked. They took off to find Erica or one of the healers as Jack and Daniel stayed with Teal’c and Sam. There was nothing Jack and Daniel could do but try to keep the babies from screaming with Sam.

What seemed like an eternity later, Erica came in and placed her hand over the rounded belly where Teal’c and Sam’s son was resting. Though not for long if Jacob Bratac had any say, which apparently he did, “We need to get the babies and the twins out of here, she’s going into labor. Her baby is Vannas for some reason.”

“What?” Sam whispered in shock as she looked at her husband, “Teal’c I swear this is your son. I have only been with you in this time!”

Erica tried to calm her, “Of course it’s his son, I don’t know how the little man ended up with Magis inside him but that doesn’t change that Teal’c is his father.”

Sam breathed a sigh of relief, somehow having Teal’c think she’d betrayed him had been worse than dealing with whatever they were dealing with. Jack and Daniel as well as Teal’c and the twins helped to move everything they needed for the baby into the living room of their apartment before Teal’c returned to Sam’s side. Jack and Daniel were left to stew about what was happening.

“You know, it’s not abnormal for a baby born of two humans to end up with Magis within them,” Lust stated as the men paced their living room. The twins were feeding the babies once more as they wore a hole in the carpet.

“How? Why?” Daniel asked, out of curiosity. This Magis seemed to have so much life and very distinct rules and this was one of them, from what Daniel had been told. Zarkina had told the curious scientist how the Magis was passed down through genetics, sometimes one Magis line would follow through on all the children and sometimes they were created with the other spouse’s Magis, sometimes even Magis from a previous relative but it was genetic.

“Well, there is free Magis floating around from Vannas dying all over the island because the Magis figure this is where they should be in some inherent way. Sometimes they jump into newborns since the children have to be prepared for the powers they would soon hold. They will have no way of knowing until your friends’ child is a little older. He will be just fine and so will your friend. We have the greatest healers and medicine for Vannas/Magis birthing and Erica is the best that the world has seen in a long time.”

“Why’s that?” Jack asked, only wondering because Daniel was frowning about something and he figured new gossip and information could pull his young lover out of the bad head space he seemed to find himself in.

“She is a Blessed One, someone born with extra power and it’s been enough to keep her alive and safe living in the city for some time now. Her husband and children are there now.”

Jack nodded though he didn’t really understand what the woman was talking about but Daniel was curious and thinking hard without that look of desperation on his face. Then their son whimpered from his crib and Daniel couldn’t fight the urge to pick up Zale before the little boy picked up steam for a scream. They had learned in recent days that both their children had strong lungs and when they didn’t like something, they argued loudly. Whenever the girls had to feed them if one of the dads were holding a child the little baby would loudly argue against being separated from their father. They recognized the twins as their mothers’ but somehow in recent days, the week old children had learned who their real parents were going to be for the rest of their life.

Lust and Desire told them more than once that Zale and Zada didn’t communicate with them as frequently as they did to Daniel and Jack. Jack watched his partner lift Zale from the comfy blankets he’d been wrapped in. Zale instantly cuddled down into Daniel’s arms and heaved a grateful sigh. Jack walked over to his husband and kissed first Zale then Daniel on the forehead. “She’s going to be fine, we are always fine and you know it better than most,” the words were spoken against Daniel’s skin and the younger man gave a sharp, jerking nod. Then Zada spoke up, realizing somehow that Zale was not next to her anymore.

The children were a strange concept wrapped up in bundles of cute, they had abilities to understand the world around them more fully than newborn should have been capable of but so far Jack and Daniel had learned it just meant that they had a closer relationship with the babies.

It was interesting, to say the least.


	27. Healthy Babes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sweet little ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta'ed at the moment   
> 10/9/2015

Daniel and Jack paced, holding the babies for comfort sometimes and settling them back to sleep at the insistence of Desire and Lust but finally what seemed like days later, Teal’c entered the room with a small bundle in his arms.

“How is Sam?” Daniel asked immediately.

“She is doing well, the healers are with her now. Due to the strangeness of the birth she will be on bed rest for some time. I wanted you to be the first to meet my son, Jacob Bratac.”

Jack and Daniel huddled close and cooed at the small mocha skinned baby, it was a beautiful shade between the dark chocolate of Teal’c and the lovely alabaster of Samantha Carter.

“You have a handsome son, Teal’c,” Jack stated and then Daniel watched both men become quiet. They both left children behind in the other time, Jack’s was deceased but Teal’c had let behind Rya’ac and this moment while he looked down at Jacob, he remembered once more what he’d left behind.

“You thinking of your first son?” Daniel asked gently.

Both men nodded, Daniel pressed himself close to Jack in comfort. Jack looked down and smiled, “This is not a time to be sad, our children are safely here and the women all survived. We now have the first members of a new second generation SG-1.”

Daniel rolled his eyes with a grin at the proud tone of voice in Jack. Daniel knew having Zale was going to bring about a lot of sadness in Jack but they took the chance despite that fact. Daniel and Jack had talked a lot about that but because Jack had been the one to lead the charge to start a family, Daniel knew that he understood better than anyone what kind of triggers he was going to have throughout the process, leaving Daniel to just be supportive and loving for his partner.

Daniel watched as Jack suddenly turned away from Daniel and Teal’c and lifted Zada from her crib. She wiggled around in his arms for a moment before settling against that strong chest that Daniel had dreams about for a long time before he’d been allowed to touch it. Now he wasn’t relegated to dreams, they would have time for that later when they were all resettled in their apartment instead of this room.

“Say hey to Sam for us,” Daniel said with a smile when he realized that Jack was going to continue quietly communing with their daughter. The Jaffa nodded to them before he walked back out of the room. The young scientist walked over and placed Zale back in his crib gently and wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist awkwardly thanks to Zada in his arms but there was no way he was asking the man to put his daughter down. “You okay?”

Jack smiled down at him, shifting his gaze between his spouse and his daughter’s serene face, “Yeah I’m good. Danny, I didn’t know if I could really ever do this again. I didn’t think I had it in me to love someone again like I love you, and having another child was nowhere on my list.”

“What was on your list?” Daniel whispered against Jack’s pectoral muscle. It flexed under his touch and Daniel smiled in response.

“Before coming here?” Jack asked in clarification. Daniel nodded but said nothing, “I planned to keep going through the Gate till I died for good, I wasn’t planning a life. I didn’t have a future before I knew you loved me too.”

Daniel grinned again, reaching up and kissing Jack gently. “I didn’t know I was capable of loving after Sha’re. I didn’t think that I could take the chance of losing someone else, I knew it would destroy me but I realize now that love gives us a reason to fight.”

“For each other,” Jack said as he looked down at Zada again. “For them.”

“Forever,” Daniel replied.

“Forever,” Jack repeated back as they stared down at their beautiful daughter.


End file.
